Star Of Venus
by Yuja
Summary: Isaac has a secret in him, one he never knew of. Now, someone wants to take this 'Star' from him, and his well being is put in the hands of his friends. One problem: what happens if they fail? Ch 9: Just when they thought they knew what was going on...
1. The Mystery Apple Tree

Star of Venus  
  
*************  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun. If I did, I'd make Isaac talk in GS1 and Felix talk more in GS2. Squall talks in FF8, so why can't Isaac and Felix?!?  
  
And don't ask where this takes place. I may come up with that later, but for now, it's just somewhere in the world of Golden Sun.  
  
*************  
  
"I'm hungry! When's lunch?" complained Ivan.  
  
"Give me a break, Ivan. I can only cook so much," said Isaac with a smile to the right. Ever since Ivan had first joined him and Garet, Isaac had taken an instant liking to Ivan. Garet sometimes fussed Isaac out for spoiling the 14 year old, but Isaac didn't care. It was like having his own little brother to look after. And his concern for the boy had only grown after they had saved Hammet from Lunpa and Ivan learned about the prophecies he had to fulfill.  
  
"And it wasn't that long ago since we ate back at that last village," added Garet, kicking a stone as he walked.  
  
"I know, but."  
  
"You're still used to eating whenever you're hungry, from back at Hammet's palace. Is that it?" finished Isaac.  
  
"Pretty much, I guess." Ivan stared at the ground as he walked.  
  
Isaac watched Ivan for few seconds, wishing that he had something that might help. Just then, he felt something strange welling up inside him and he stopped walking.  
  
"Isaac what's wrong?" asked Mia as she passed. Then, noticing his face, she quickly added, "Isaac, you're so pale! Are you okay?"  
  
She reached for his arm, but Isaac shook his head and blinked. "I'm fine, Mia," he said, rubbing his head. "Hey, are those.apples?"  
  
"Huh? Where?" Mia looked ahead and saw it too. "Oh, wow! It's an entire apple tree!"  
  
Mia and Garet, led by Ivan, ran to the trees base. Garet picked the nearest one and handed it to Ivan. "There ya go, Ivan. We can pick a bunch of these. Then, no one will complain about lunch for a while."  
  
"But, I don't get it." Garet and Ivan turned to Mia, who was staring up at the tree. "These apples are ripe and ready to be eaten, even though this is completely the wrong season for apples."  
  
"Don't complain, Mia. I'd rather eat mystery apples than hear Ivan's griping," Garet pointed out, picking apples and handing them to Ivan to put in a bag.  
  
The three friends were so busy talking about and picking apples that no one noticed Isaac still standing in the same place, staring at the tree.  
  
I know I'm a Venus Adept, but.was that there before, or.did I.make it appear.  
  
****************  
  
Ooh! Freaky!  
  
Felix: Or not.  
  
Isaac: Speak for yourself! You're not the one making apple trees appear at will!!  
  
Ivan: Why are you making me so whiny?  
  
Cause I felt like it.  
  
Ivan: Oh.  
  
Anyways, review since I think I'm finally getting the hang of this whole fan fiction thing.  
  
Garet: Finally.  
  
What was that? You got somethin' to say?  
  
Garet: *timidly* No ma'am. 


	2. Outnumbered

Star of Venus

Chapter 2:  Outnumbered

And now for chapter 2!

Isaac:  You have way too much free time.

Yeah, well, I think I finally figured out how to make the formatting work.  Double thanks to Sarah for helping me twice now!

Felix: You're in a happy mood again.  You were pretty upset earlier today.

What?  I love birds.  How am I supposed to act when a chicken house down the road catches fire and kills all of the chickens?!?!  Especially when I have a pet chicken of my own?  *hugs Sora, the once thought to be hen that turned out to be a rooster*

Garet: I swear, it wasn't me.  Also, I don't think you really needed to tell all the readers that.

Sorry.  *feeds Sora some ramen noodles*  He's just a month old, and already he's got most of his feathers in!

Isaac: And after everyone said he wouldn't survive, he turns out to be the only rooster in the entire batch that you guys hatched in Biology class.

Yeah, but he's still my baby, even if he won't give me free eggs in college.

Everyone except Yuja:   ^_^;   ……..

***************

The group of friends had decided to take a break by the apple tree.  Mia had boiled several apples, and everyone loaded their pockets with the fruit.  Ivan munched away happily as Garet slept some, his back against the trunk of the obviously young tree.  Isaac sat polishing his sword next to Mia as she boiled some more.  All of their bags had been piled up a few steps from Isaac.

Isaac sighed.  "Hey Mia?"

"Yeah?"

"How do you think that tree got here?"  Mia looked at him quizzically.  "I mean, you yourself said that it was out of season, so how come it's doing so well when that other tree we passed looked almost dead?"

Mia thought about that for a second.  "I really don't know," she answered, looking at the tree.  A leaf had fallen and now rested on top of Garet's head.

"I know this will sound crazy, but," Isaac paused, wondering if he should really mention it, "I think it had something to do with me."  Mia stared at Isaac again, more confused than ever.  Isaac, seeing this, continued.  "Ivan was complaining about being hungry, but there seemed like nothing we could do for him.  So, I kinda wished that I could help him."

"How does that make you think _you made the tree appear?"_

"Remember how I stopped moving before I saw it?"

Mia nodded.  "You scared me for a moment.  You looked ready to pass out."

"I felt this strange feeling inside me.  For an instant, I think I saw the tree flash in my mind.  When I came to, you were asking if I was alright."

"You said it was nothing and then pointed out the tree," finished Mia.

"Yeah, except…I hadn't seen the tree yet…"  Isaac's voice trailed off and he lowered his eyes to stare at the ground.

Mia could only watch him.  "But how…"  Mia jumped.  While they had been talking, the boiled apples had started to boil over.  Using the edge of her cloak, Mia quickly removed the pot from the fire.  "Blast it!  Now they're too overdone!" 

Hearing Mia's fussing, Ivan looked up and gasped.  Isaac saw the shock in the boy's face.  "Ivan, what's up?"

Ivan hesitated only a second before jumping up and grabbing his staff.  "Mia!  Behind you!"

Isaac turned to see a massive Mauler lumbering out of the trees, and he was headed straight for Mia.  Mia let out a scream, waking Garet.

"Num…num…what's going on?"  Garet opened an eye.  After taking a few seconds for his mind to register what was happening, he too jumped up.  "Mia!"  Garet ran over to the pile of bags and snatched out his sword.

"FROST!"  Icicles shot down from nowhere and struck the beast, causing it to rear back in pain.  Mia tried to back away, but tripped over the pot.  Fortunately, the pot fell over sideways, and Mia wasn't burned by the hot water that poured from it.  Mia quickly tried to get to her feet, but the Mauler had already recovered.  Moving with surprising speed for its kind, it charged at her.  Hitting the Adept square in the stomach, Mia was sent flying backwards.  Isaac dropped his sword as she crashed into him.

"Mia!  MIA!"  Isaac shook his friend, but she only groaned.

"Isaac, you heal Mia.  Ivan and I will handle this thing," shouted Garet.

"STORM RAY!"

"FLARE!"

Isaac watched as the attacks struck the Mauler.  Again, it reared back, but it still wasn't beaten.  His friends needed his help, but he couldn't just leave Mia.  Her dress was torn, and he could see some red seeping through. "Cure Well," Isaac quickly whispered.  A golden light flowed from his gloved hand and faded into Mia.

The blue-haired girl stirred and opened her eyes.  "Isaac?"

"Good.  You're awake.  I'll be right back."  Isaac picked up his sword and started for the Mauler that had just knocked Ivan to the ground.  He had started to run, but suddenly stopped.  Another image had flashed through his mind.  Isaac turned around and stepped sideways just in time to dodge a flying stinger from a Drone Bee.

"CLAY SPIRE!"  A large thorn of stone shot up from the ground, tearing a wing of the insect.  The Drone Bee made a loud screeching noise, and soon the buzzing of three more could be heard as they entered the area.

"Isaac, look out!" shouted Garet as he sidestepped the Mauler and hit it in the back with his sword.  Isaac was now surrounded by four Drone Bees, all more than willing to launch their poisonous barbs at him.

"I call Granite!"  The small Venus Djinni appeared on Isaac's shoulder before jumping into the air and vanishing.  A golden barrier formed a dome over Isaac just as three of the Drone Bees attacked, their needles bouncing off harmlessly.  Isaac smirked as the barrier faded and lunged at the bugs, wiping the three out.

Isaac felt a sharp pain in his back.  It didn't take long to realize the source: he had forgotten about the fourth Drone Bee behind him.

"Isaac!" Mia shouted as he slowly dropped to his knees.  The effect hadn't been the expected poisoning, but was instead paralysis.  Isaac could hear the Bee getting closer.

"Get away from him, you stupid bug!" said Mia, jumping in the way and knocking the bee upside the head with her mace.  Giving up, the Drone Bee retreated.  "I'm glad that's over," she said, kneeling beside Isaac.  "Restore."

Isaac felt the paralysis leaving him.  "Thanks Mia."  There was a roar from behind.  Turning, the two saw that the Mauler was still there.  "C'mon.  We have to help Garet and Ivan."

Mia nodded and helped Isaac to his feet.  "How strong is that thing?" she asked as they ran.  Ivan looked unconscious, and Garet's left arm was bleeding.

"Garet, hold on!" shouted Isaac.  When he got up beside his friend, he glared at the beast and lifted his right hand.  "MAD GROWTH!"

Vines shot up from below the Mauler, some tying it down while others struck at it like whips.  Mia ran over to Ivan and used Ply to wake him.

"What took ya so long?" said Garet, grinning.  "FLARE WALL!"  Flames came up around the monster, creating what Garet often liked to call a "fire cage" or "fire ring".

"Sorry, but we had a slight pest control problem.  RAGNAROK!"

A massive sword appeared above the battle and shot at the Mauler.  There was a loud roar from the Mauler before the sword vanished again.  The Mauler seemed to sway to one side, but quickly righted itself again, its eyes now fixed on Isaac.

"Wha...But that should've worked!" shouted Isaac.  "I just don't…" his voice trailed off again, and Mia looked at him to find that he had gone pale, his eyes glazed over.

"Isaac!  Snap out of it!"  She shook his arm.  Isaac blinked and shook his head.  There was another roar, and the Mauler charged at them.  It knocked Mia to the side as if she were nothing, and then shoved Isaac to the ground, one heavy paw pressing on his chest.

"Isaac!!" shouted everyone at the same time.  Isaac's sword had fallen from his hand, and he was fighting to stay conscious after having the wind knocked out of him.  He struggled at first, but then his eyes met those of his captor.

_You wield the true Star of Venus.  You were always destined to be stronger than the rest.  Now, the hidden power within you has begun to awake.  We may have failed to stop you today, but my master will not rest until she has laid her hands on your power – and destroys you..._

With that, the Mauler stood again and let out a roar before vanishing.

***************

Sora, bring that paper towel back!

Isaac:  Where'd he get that?

He grabbed it while I was cleaning the cage.  Don't ask why, but he loves to grab a corner and run in circles.  And he _loves ramen noodles.  He also sleeps with one of those toy chicks you buy around Easter that chirp when you put it in your hand._

Garet:  That is one _majorly spoiled chicken._

Well, what do you expect from a _hand raised chicken.  He was the last one to hatch, and then he couldn't walk or eat on his own for about a week (his legs still wobble at times).  And he rarely saw any of the other chickens because they probably would've walked all over him and accidentally killed him!_

Jenna:  It's a beautiful day when the women can walk all over the men.

NOT WHEN THAT MAN HAPPENS TO BE MY CHICKEN!!!

Jenna: *tiny voice* just joking…

Mia:  *whispering* she's _very_ protective of it.

Jenna: *whispering* I noticed.


	3. Welcome to Terra

Star of Venus

Chapter 3

And now, for a quick announcement…

I'M-SO-SORRY-I-DIDN'T-WRITE-THIS-SOONER-AND-GET-IT-POSTED-AND-IT'S-BEEN-HERE-NOT-UPDATED-FOR-OVER-2-YEARS-AND-NOW-I-UPDATE-AND-IT-ISN'T-VERY-GOOD!

Muses: x.x don't do that again...

Glad that's over with. I don't own Golden Sun. I do "own" the idea of the town Terra (lame name, I know) and any characters I created.

Ivan: I'm too pathetic in this story.

Yuja: Yeah, well, I was still imagining you as a little kid back when I wrote it. Thanks to Griffinkhan for pointing out that Ivan's age is 15. For some reason, I thought for sure that the game booklet said 14, but then I looked again and it was 15.

--------------------

"Look! I think he's coming around."

Isaac groaned and tried to open his eyes. His head ached beyond imagination, as well as every other inch of his body.

"Isaac? Can you hear me?"

"G-Garet?"

Garet laughed a bit in his relief. "Yeah, it's me. Can you open your eyes?"

"Not really. It hurts too much. What happened?"

"After that Mauler vanished, you passed out," came Ivan's voice. "Remember?"

Isaac managed to pull a hand to his throbbing forehead, still trying to open his eyes. "The last thing I remember is being pinned by that thing and…"

"What?" asked Mia's voice.

"It was nothing," said Isaac trying to sit up, but his head instantly hurt more. He felt Garet's hand on his shoulder, pushing him back down.

"Take it easy pal. And we already know about the tree," said Garet.

Isaac hesitated. Did he really want to involve them in something even he didn't understand? "I don't know. It's like… it spoke to me. It said something about a star and a master. I don't remember much else."

There was a pause that was finally broken by Mia. "Isaac, can you try to open your eyes?"

Isaac started to pull his hand away from his face, but quickly pulled it back. "No. Even the slightest light hurts." Isaac felt Mia's gently pulling his hand away and replacing it with her own.

"Ply."

Isaac could see a blue haze before him, and the pain in his head and eyes subsided, allowing him to finally open them slowly. At first, everything was blurry, but things started to come into focus and he could make out his friends' outlines. Isaac blinked a few more times and his surroundings cleared. "Thanks Mia," he said as he tried to sit up again.

"Anytime."

Isaac then realized that he had been lying on his bedroll and that his armor had been removed so that he was only wearing his pants and thin white undershirt. Isaac looked around at his friends. Garet's left arm was in a sort of sling, and Mia had bandages wrapped around her midriff. "Okay. I passed out. How did you all do?"

"It just got my arm," answered Garet. "Mia healed it. The sling's just her way of making sure I don't hurt it anymore."

"I only closed the wound," said Mia matter-of-factly. "Your arm's gonna be a bit weak for a while until you've regained some of the blood you lost." Garet just rolled his eyes.

What about you?" asked Isaac to Mia.

"I'm fine now. You already healed the scratches. I just put on the bandages to make sure I don't bend the wrong way. It's still a bit bruised and sore where I got hit. That, and I didn't have time to sew up the tear in my dress."

"How about you Ivan?"

"Good ol' Ivan didn't get it as bad as the rest of us," explained Garet, grinning. "He basically just got the wind knocked out of him. Other than that, he's doing just fine."

But Isaac wasn't assured. Ivan hadn't said a word since explaining how Isaac had passed out. "Ivan?"

Ivan shifted his weight a bit, looking away from Isaac. "I-I'm fine. I guess…it's just that…well…"

"What is it?" asked Isaac.

"It's…just…" Ivan hesitated, but then he accidentally made eye contact with Isaac. It was like something burst inside him, and he couldn't hold it in any longer. "Those monsters were after _you_, Isaac! The entire time we were fighting, it was like nothing could beat that Mauler! And then all those Drone Bees appeared and attacked _you_! They didn't go after me. They didn't go after Garet. They went after you! And after you and Mia destroyed them and came to help us…"

"Ivan, calm down. I'm fine," stated Isaac, trying to smile like it was nothing. "I'm sure it was just coincidence-"

"Four against one isn't coincidence!" Ivan's outburst caught everyone by surprise. He looked near tears. "Don't you get it? That Mauler was only a distraction while those Bees singled you out! If Mia hadn't recovered enough to block that last one, who knows what could've happened!"

Ivan took a shuttering breath and tried to collect himself. "No matter what we did, that Mauler was still stronger and faster than any of us. And no matter how many times we hit it, it never seemed injured. It wasn't normal. But, when it saw you, it's like none of us were even there anymore. It just knocked Mia out of the way like she was some rag doll! Then it just stood there, pushing you into the ground! It just stood there! We all attacked it, but it didn't even feel a thing! But after a minute, it pulled back and disappeared on it's own!"

Mia gasped and everyone turned to her. "Isaac, did you see anything before that Mauler attacked you?"

Isaac thought for a moment. He remembered using Ragnarok and being pinned by the bear-like monster, but nothing else. Then it all came back to him. "I-I completely forgot… Right after I used Ragnarok and it didn't work, I…" He brought his hand back to his forehead which was starting to ache again.

"You went so pale," said Mia quietly. "It was just like before the tree appeared. You just stopped moving and talking. It's like you weren't even there for a few seconds. But this time, that Mauler didn't single you out until you had recovered."

Isaac's head was now throbbing as he tried to remember. "I think it happened twice during the fight. The first time was when that first Drone Bee tried to attack from behind. But it was like a warning system. It was like something inside of me told me what to do, so I stepped sideways and the attack missed me."

"Some warning system," scoffed Garet. "It only warned you once! Where was this 'warning system' when that last Drone got you?"

"I had forgotten that Bee while I tried to wipe out the others," explained Isaac. "But I don't really care about that part. I'm trying to remember that last time. I was wondering why Ragnarok hadn't worked, and that's when I froze up. It's was like…I dunno…"

Isaac winced. _You wield the true Star of Venus._

"Isaac? Are you okay?"

You were always destined to be stronger than the rest. Isaac felt a sharp pain in the middle of his chest and tried to grab at it, suddenly feeling short of breath.

"Isaac!"

----------

He was falling. Everything was so dark, even though his eyes were open. The venomous voice echoed through his mind.

_Now, the hidden power within you has begun to awake_.

What power? He could already use Psynergy, and he had collected several Djinn.

_You wield the True Star of Venus_.

The True Star of Venus? What on earth was that?

"Isaac." The new voice came from all directions. It was a soft, calm, feminine voice, far different from the evil, hissing sound he had heard from the Mauler.

"Who are you? What's going on?" Isaac looked around frantically. It was as if he were floating now. He couldn't even tell which way was up or down anymore. "Where am I?"

"Take care, Isaac, for there is more to the Elemental Stars than what was ever recorded in history."

"Who are you?" shouted Isaac.

"The power of the True Star of Venus has begun to awaken," came the voice, ignoring Isaac's questions. "The ones you follow carry the Elemental Star of Venus. You, however, carry inside you something far more powerful; something far more valuable. Protect the Star with your life, Isaac, for, without it, you cannot live."

"What Star?" Isaac was still shouting, but now he was getting desperate. "What's inside me? What are you talking about?"

"Head for the town of Terra. All of your questions shall be answered there." There was a pause, and then, the voice fading as it spoke, "Protect…the Star…"

----------

Meanwhile, in the conscious world, Isaac had fallen back onto the bed mat. One hand was still in a fist at his chest, clutching at his shirt, and he was covered in a cold sweat, his breathing shallow.

As instructed by Mia, Garet was carefully dabbing at Isaac's face with a wet cloth. "Isaac? C'mon buddy, wake up." There was no reply.

"Oh, he's just got to wake up. He's _got_ to," said Mia, sitting on her knees at Isaac's side.

"Mia, can't Ply do _anything_?" begged Garet.

"That's what I've been doing, but nothing seems to work."

"There's got to be _something_ we can do," mumbled Ivan at Isaac's feet.

"I just don't get it," said Mia. "What could do this to him?"

"Maybe one of the Drones managed to poison him," suggested Garet.

"But I tried Cure Poison already. I've tried Ply, Pure Ply, Restore - everything!"

"Let me Mind Read him." The Mercury and Mars Adepts looked at Ivan. "Maybe I can find out what's wrong with him."

Mia thought for a moment, and then nodded. "Okay. That seems like the only thing left to try."

Garet nodded too. Ivan made his way so that he was beside Mia and placed his right hand on Isaac's arm. As his two companions watched, Ivan started to glow a faint purple.

----------

"Isaac? Isaaaac?" There was no response as Ivan walked through the darkness. "That's strange," thought Ivan. "I can't seem to find a single thought."

"_Ivan_?_ Is that you_?" Ivan spun around, but there was no one in sight. _"Ivan, where are you_?"

"Isaac?"

"_It's dark. It's so dark."_

As if in response to Isaac's complaint, a golden light appeared behind Ivan, fading to reveal a yellow-orange sphere. "The Venus Star? But Saturos and Menardi have it." He took a step towards the orb, but the invisible ground roiled, preventing him from going any farther.

_Do not interfere…with the True Star…_

"That's not Isaac's voice. Who are you?"

_A power that lies dormant within your friend. He survives because of me, and I because of him. You and the others are just starting to notice the danger Isaac is in. Those that seek my strength are already searching, hunting until they find us and steal me away. Return to your own mind. Your friend shall awaken shortly._

----------

Ivan opened his eyes. He was still kneeling next to Isaac, with Garet and Mia waiting for him to give details.

"I don't know what happened. I don't think I entered the right area."

"What's that s'pose to mean?" demanded Garet.

"There weren't any thoughts or memories in that area. I heard Isaac's voice, but there was some other voice; a woman's voice. The Venus Star appeared and the voice said something about it being the 'True Star' and that it was a power inside of Isaac. There are people after this Star that want its power for themselves. It lives inside of Isaac and… I don't think Isaac could survive if it were taken from him."

There was a short pause until Isaac stirred and carefully sat up. He rubbed his head as he opened his eyes. "I seem to be having some trouble staying conscious lately," he said, grinning slightly. Garet looked ready to clobber him. "Er…we'd better get going," he added quickly as he got to his feet. He didn't intend on giving Garet the time to knock him out again.

"Too bad Suhalla is still so far away," said Ivan. "We still need to meet up with Iodem at the bridge."

"I say we wait 'til nightfall, sneak across, and leave the old geezer behind," suggested Garet angrily.

"Garet!"

"Seriously Mia! Sure he's not as old as Kraden or that jerk Babi, but why should we be the ones to escort him? They could just as easily as hired any of the other Colosso competitors. I'm sure Satrage, Navampa, and Azart would've been more that willing to help their precious Lord Babi!" Isaac smiled to himself. He knew Garet despised Babi completely, and the memory of Colosso always seemed to get Garet in a foul mood.

----------

An hour or so later, the four travelers came to a fork in the road.

"The map says that the bridge is to the left," said Ivan, checking the world map. They had bought it during Isaac and Garet's first visit to Vault, and they all had to admit that it was now looking a bit worse for wear.

Isaac peered over Ivan's shoulder. Ivan had a finger pointed at their current location. If they followed the left path, there were no other forks until the bridge. If they followed the right path, they would end up in a small village by nightfall if they made good time. Isaac squinted to make out the fine print that labeled the village, but a giant crease that had started a tear ran straight through the center. Te….a. Could that be the village of Terra the Star told me about?

"I say we go right." Everyone gave him an odd look. "What? There's a small village to the right. It's not that far."

You want to go to Terra? Ivan had read his mind.

Yeah. That Star told me that all my questions would be answered there.

If that's the case, then I won't argue. "I agree with Isaac. And I'm sure we could use a good night's rest at the inn there."

Garet shrugged. "What the heck? We might as well. Maybe Iodem will get tired of waiting and go home." A grin spread across his face as the group started down the right-hand trail. "Or maybe a pack of Mad Vermin will take care of him." He snickered quietly until Mia poked him in the back with her staff and glared at him.

----------

They had been walking for who knew how long. Isaac and Ivan led the way, closely followed by Mia. Garet had started to lag behind slightly, his bandaged arm feeling a bit weak. Noticing this, Mia quietly fell back herself until she was side by side with the Mars Adept.

"Getting tired?"

"You could say that."

She smiled as she cast Ply on his arm. "If you don't hurry up, you'll be facing the next set of monsters on your own."

"Lay off. I'm trying." Garet sighed and his gaze fell to the side. "The whole thing just seems to wear me down sometimes."

Mia gave him a puzzled look. "What's that mean?"

"The 'tracking down the bad guys' I can handle, but all these side quests… between Colosso, Lunpa, Altin, the desert… I guess it just gets me down at times. We're supposed to save the world, yet everything bad just keeps happening to us. Ivan finds out that he's of the Jupiter Clan and has some connection to Master Hama, not to mention the fact that his family just gave him to Hammet so that he could fulfil some prophecy. Alex abandons Imil and you to help Blue Boy and Pinky. Isaac is forced to compete in Colosso… Now this!"

Mia stared at the two blonde teens ahead of her. "I know what you mean. Listen, we need to keep an eye on Isaac. I think there's more to this 'Terra' than they're telling us." Garet nodded silently.

----------

They arrived in town at sunset, paid for four rooms at the inn, and finished dinner in record time -- except for Garet who was always the one to set the record for most eaten and seemed exceptionally hungry that night. Mia made her way back to the table where the boys were sitting. Isaac and Ivan were playing a game of chess though, as usual, Isaac was being crushed.

"I'm actually glad we came this way." She yawned.

Garet followed suit. Ivan tried to keep his mouth closed, but he finally yawned as well. Isaac chuckled. "Sheesh, Mia. For a healer, your yawns are sure contagious."

Garet stood and stretched, which was somewhat difficult with his injured arm. "I think I'll be going to my room now. See ya." He waved to his friends and lumbered up the stairs.

"I think that for once I agree with Garet," stated Mia, standing up as well. "Good night you two. Don't stay up too late."

"Don't worry about us," assured Ivan as he took Isaac's queen. "Check."

Mia climbed the stairs and turned a corner, walking right into someone. "Oh, excuse me- Garet?"

"Are they coming?"

Mia shook her head. "Not yet."

"Hmm…I think I'll wait for Isaac. I'm still worried about him."

"Me too. He's been awfully quiet since we arrived."

"You're waiting for Isaac?" Mia and Garet jumped. Ivan walked up beside Mia. "You'll be here awhile. He just left for a walk."

"What!"

Ivan sweat-dropped. "He just said that he felt like a walk before bed. I mean, I did just beat him at chess for the millionth time."

"That does it." Garet clenched a fist. "It's one thing to scare the livin' daylights outta me on the road, but goin' out at night on his own at a time like this is just plain stupid!"

"In other words, it's something you would do."

"I-vaaaannn…"

"Eep! Not that it's totally stupid! I'm sure if you did it, it would be very smart!"

Mia turned away from the arguing two and cupped her hands over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

----------

Isaac turned down another street. The map had been wrong in marking Terra as a small village. It was more like the size of Kaylay or Lunpa - bigger than a village, but smaller than your average town. Street lamps illuminated the streets, moths and other insects fluttering around the tiny flames. Isaac leaned against a brick building and stared at one of the lights.

You wield the True Star of Venus.

Isaac shuddered slightly. What was happening to him? What was the deal with this "True Star of Venus"?

Protect the Star with your life, Isaac, for, without it, you cannot live.

And what was up with that! Cannot live? Was he simply some vessel for this "Star"? Would there come a day when the Star would leave and he would just…disappear? Maybe he was like the tiny flames that lit the streets. Take the Star away from him like you take the air away from a fire and you end up with… nothing? Wasn't that how he had once seen himself? Had he been correct those three long years?

"Isaac of Vale, I presume." Isaac started and turned to his left. A figure stood in the shadows, just out of the light's reach.

"Who are you?" asked Isaac coolly.

"I have been expecting you, Isaac of Vale." The figure stepped into the light to reveal a girl the same age as Isaac. She had black hair that fell down to her waist and silver eyes like stars. "I am Celestia."

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Yuja: There. I finally got the next chapter. And it only took me – what? – two years to post it.

Isaac: She was too busy trying to kill me in her other story to finish and post this one.

Yuja: I'm not trying to kill you. thinks for a moment Well, seriously injuring/maiming… but technically that's not in the same category as killing.

Isaac: There's categories!

Yuja: n.n; Yeah, well, moving on, Celestia is an OC I created almost 3 years ago. Just a random character I created after my World History exam. Never thought I would actually use her though. Once again, don't expect quick updates, but I think I might finally have a new plot for this story that I can actually work with. The original idea was a little too…childish, I guess. Even this chapter is a little out of style, since I did write most of it a while ago. And I know the whole "True Star" conversation thing was dull and "Isaac of Vale I presume" was cliché, but I was at a loss when it came to any other way to advance the story. I promise the next chapter will be better, and it won't take me 2 years to write n.n;;

And once again, I'm uping the rating to T just to be safe. There's gonna be a lot more battles, and a few things are gonna happen later on. I should probably warn some of you that I tend to favor Isaac/Mia and Garet/Jenna pairings, so please don't request certain other pairings or ask me to change them if I do start putting a little in here and there.


	4. You're the Leader

Star of Venus

Chapter 4

Yuja: See? I told you I wouldn't wait 2 years to update again.

Jenna: (looking over story) After this chapter, that might be how long you're forced into hiding. You know, you're terrible, Yuja. You take forever and then you give them this.

Isaac: OO What? Gimme that!

Jenna: Not a chance. I want to see your reaction at the end. n-n

Yuja: (grabs back story from Jenna) Just who gave you permission to preview my stuff?

Jenna: Why shouldn't I? I'm your muse, your inspiration, your motivation, your-

Yuja: Pain in the neck?

Jenna: (glare) I'm going to spare you for that this time. Yuja doesn't own Golden Sun.

Yuja: I know I probably should do review responses, but I got an e-mail from another author about how those go against rules or something. I e-mailed the site to see if it was true, but I haven't gotten a response yet. So until I do, I'll just do a general response.

About the question of whether or not chess belongs in a GS story, chess is an old game in our world dating possibly back to the 600-800's, if not earlier. Even though I don't remember any character playing chess anywhere in the GS story, I figured if places in the game (i.e. Tolbi and Contigo) could have versions of modern gambling/casino games, then why not a game that's even older?

Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Now, on with the show!

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Isaac lowered his cup. "So, let me get this straight. This 'Star' basically _lives_ inside of me?"

Celestia nodded and spoke in her accented voice. "For the most part, yes. The Star depends on you for survival. It has dwelled within you since the day you were born and, most likely, will stay with you until you die."

"What happens to it then?"

"It will find a new host."

Isaac took another sip of his tea. "So, I'm just a vessel for this Star."

"No. You are the Star's guardian. It is your _duty_ to protect it from those who would use it for less than moral purposes. In return, the Star will grant you great power. More tea?"

"Huh? Oh, sure." Celestia stood and went to the stove, returning with the kettle of foreign Masala tea and pouring some first into Isaac's cup and then hers before replacing the kettle on the stove. "Thanks." Isaac stared down at the drink, not sure what to think or do next.

----------

Ivan pulled away from the window and sat down.

"Well?" asked Garet, kneeling beside him. "Anything?"

"To be honest, I don't know what's going on in there. And I can't use Mind Read from here. It's too far."

"Oh, just let me see." Mia pushed Ivan aside and got on her knees to see through the window. "Who does that girl think she is, meeting with Isaac at this time of night?"

Ivan and Garet exchanged looks and grinned slightly, but neither said anything about it. A jealous Mia was dangerous enough without being provoked. Before long, all three were crowded together on top of the wooden crates below the window.

----------

"So what can I do? How can I protect something that I never even knew existed?"

Celestia remained standing, taking a step towards the fireplace and staring into the orange flames. "There was once a prophecy that a being of darkness would one day try to take the Star's power for itself. For years, my family has hoped that the prophecy would not become reality, and for years the Star's whereabouts have stayed secret. It does not reveal itself to every guardian. For you to have realized its presence requires a strong heart and soul. However, in revealing itself to you, it seems to have revealed itself to others who are sensitive to it."

"Sensitive to it?"

"Yes. Certain creatures with vast amounts of the powers of the earth." Celestia turned back to her guest. "You must now be extra careful in your travels, lest you be caught off guard again."

Isaac paused as he caught what she had said. "'Again'? You know about today's fight?"

"Your clothing and armoraresoiled and damaged. That suggests a struggle. That, and your friends seem particularly concerned for you."

"So you've met my friends too. You know just about everything about me already, don't you?"

"Not really." She turned back to him and smiled. "I just noticed that they've been watching you from my window for the past half hour." Isaac raised an eyebrow and lowered his cup, not quite registering what she had just said until he heard a short yelp,something heavyfalling over, and people groaning outside. Isaac ran to the door and around to the window to find the three figures of his friends tangled together in a heap along with several of the crates that had been stacked neatly along the wall earlier.

"Guys, what are you doing here?" He hurried to help them up.

"I think we could be asking you the same thing," answered an annoyed Garet when he took the hand that Isaac offered him.

"We were worried, Isaac," explained Ivan, massaging his shoulder. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Just hurry and get inside before someone sends out a noise complaint." Before long they were all sitting at the table drinking the tea that Celestia offered them.

----------

Isaac awoke the next morning to a light rain outside of his window.It fell steadily from the gray clouds that had moved into the area during the night. After quickly changing into his tunic, Isaac left the room and made his way downstairs. Mia, Garet, and Ivan had already gathered at one of the tables in the inn's dining area, and Garet was already munching away at his third piece of cheese bread.

"Morning, Isaac," said Mia with a smile as Isaac approached. "We were starting to wonder if you needed someone to come wake you."

Isaac smiled back, running a hand through his hair as he took a seat. "I guess I did oversleep a little."

"Tha's o-tay." Mia cast Garet a quick warning glare, and the Mars Adept chose it was best to swallow his mouthful before continuing. "We figured we'd just spend today resting up and exploring town. We can head out again tomorrow or the day after."

Isaac's smile faltered as he studied his friend. "What about Jenna and Kraden? I thought you didn't want to lose a single day in tracking them down?"

"Jenna's tough. She would understand. Besides, Felix is with them."

"Don't tell me you would be willing toput this quest on hold just for my sake." Garet pretended not to hear as he took another bite off his bread. "Garet-."

"You have to understand, Isaac," cut in Ivan. He and Mia weren't looking at the Venus Adept as the boy tried to explain. "If yesterday was any sort of example, then…I don't think we could be very successful if anything happened to you," he finished slowly.

Isaac stared at his friends for a moment. "Guys, don't get me wrong. It's not that I'm ungrateful or anything, but I really don't see any need to waste time here. I found out everything I needed to know from Celestia last night." No one would look at him in the face, and Garet simply continued eating as though nothing was happening. Isaac's patience finally wore thin and he rose from the table.

Mia looked up from her hands. "Where are you going?"

"Out." Without another word or glance over his shoulder, Isaac retrieved his armor and equipment from his room and left the inn.

----------

The rain had paused for the time being, and Isaac was still fuming as he wandered through the streets. If there was one thing that got on his nerves, it was people worrying about him. Then there was Garet and Jenna constantly badgering him to talk more when they were still in Vale, but that had to take a close second. Colosso seemed to have done the trick in fixing that "problem".

Isaac's train of thought paused. Jenna. She was like a sister to him. He owed her and Garet so much, especially in the three years following the storm. If he had only been stronger. Then perhaps he could have saved everyone. Perhaps he could have saved her from Saturos and Menardi, and then they wouldn't be on this journey. Isaac's stomach growled. Just his luck. Why did he have to go off and not eat anything before leaving like that?

The Venus Adept came to a stop, realizing that he was at the edge of town. He felt like training, but that would require leaving town, which would leave him open for monster attacks, which he was sure would result in a fairly displeased trio of traveling partners if they found out what he had done. Not that he didn't think he could handle a few creatures. And then there were his Djinn, who oddly enough seemed to be picking up the rule-abiding habits of Mia's little friends. After Garet had caused that boulder to chase them back in the Altin mines, they had even started telling on Isaacevery time he tried to do something Mia wouldn't normally approve of. That was annoying at times, too. Giving up, Isaac turned around to return to the inn, but halted when he saw a red-headed figure approaching.

"Thought I would find you here," stated Garet casually. He patted his sword at his side. "You up for a little practice? I promise not to tell Mia or Ivan." He said the last part in a teasing, sing-song voice. Isaac could only nod with a slight smile. Leave it to Garet to figure out the best way to cheer others up.

----------

Isaac yelled as he charged Garet and swung his sword above him and down. Garet blocked easily with his own sword, pushing Isaac away with it. "You're slowing down. See if you can block this!" Garet lunged forward with his blade, but Isaac sidestepped to his left. Without hesitation, Garet instantly swung in Isaac's direction, but the blonde stopped the attack by holding his sword vertical, his gloved palm pushing with all his strength against the flat of the weapon.

"Who's slowing down now?" he grunted. Garet grinned and pulled away. They had been sparring for almost an hour now, slipping here and there on mud puddles formed by the earlier rain. Isaac turned away, spun his sword lightly in a circle beside him with one hand, and then sheathed it in the scabbard across his back. "Listen, Garet. I'm sorry about earlier, for getting mad you guys and walking out like that."

"Don't mention it." Garet sheathed his sword as well. "If there's one thing I've learned after knowing you my entire life, it's when to take you seriously and when to forget whatever you say or do."

Isaac turned back around. "Gee, thanks. Am I really that predictable?"

"Sometimes." Garet leaned against a tree, his arms crossed. "You know, Isaac, if you really don't want to stay here an extra day, we can just leave again tomorrow. You are the leader, after all."

Isaac's expression saddened. "Yeah, and a wonderful job I'm doing at it, too."

"You can't beat yourself up over the Sanctum forever, you know. What happened happened. Now all we can do is fix what we started."

"Why couldn't you have been leader? You're the mayor's grandson."

Garet's grin broadened. "If I was the leader, we would still be trying to figure out how to reach Imil. No, I think Gramps made a good choice appointing you as leader in our little adventure." He came over and patted his shorter friend on the back. "Besides, where would we be if we didn't have your good looks charming half of the shop and inn keepers?" He tried making his voice as much like a high pitched girl as possible. "'Oh, look at him. Isn't he a dear? Give his party a _dis-count_!'" Isaac grinned back briefly before suddenly turning his head to the side, his grin replaced with a look of uncertainty. "Something wrong?"

Isaac took a step in the direction that he was looking, toward the forest. "I don't know." A twig snapped somewhere through the trees. They weren't even in the forest, having decided it was best to stay in the outskirts for the time being. Isaac slowly drew his sword again and Garet followed suit, coming up beside Isaac. A bird took off from the bushes a few yards in, and a squirrel scurried up a nearby tree.

"Great. Now we're jumping at squirrels," said Garet sarcastically, lowering his weapon and turning away.

"Garet!" Before Garet could fully turn back around, something heavy hit him in the head, knocking him to the ground. Isaac lashed out with his sword, hacking away at the thick vines that had suddenly shot out from the underbrush. Garet massaged the side of his head as he lifted himself painfully from the ground. Then he saw Isaac standing over him, desperately trying to fend off the onslaught of greenery. He didn't noticea vine in the grass until it reared up like a snakeand shot towards Isaac's booted foot. "Isaac! Look out!" He was too late. The vine pulled Isaac down, catching him off-guard and causing him to drop his sword. Garet jumped for his friend, but missed by mere inches as Isaac was quickly dragged into the forest.

Scrambling to his feet and picking up his own sword, Garet chased after the cursed plant to a clearing beside a twelve foot high wall of brown dirt and stone that had visible signs of erosion. The vine lifted Isaac upside down into the air. Without pausing to think, Garet charged the vine and slashed it, waiting for Isaac to land roughly on the ground before casting a quick Flare Wall. The plant seemed to shriek as it writhed and vanished into the ground.

Garet ran over to Isaac and pulled him to his feet. "You okay?" Isaac nodded, trying to catch his breath after landing hard on his back. He didn't have long, however, before a mass of vines as thick asthe average personwas wide burst through the ground at the center of the clearing. Garet cursed under his breath. "Run for town. I'll be right behind you. Go!"

"I have Psynergy, you know!"

Garet cut through a vine that had aimed for Isaac. "And your earth powers are gonna help us _how_? Go already!" Isaac didn't argue anymore, instead making a mad dash for the trees in the direction of town. Garet spun his sword as three vines attacked, but had no sooner severed these before he was rewarded by several more that moved in from every direction.

Isaac spun around as the sound of Garet's surprised cry to see him being hoisted into the air and thrown into a tree on the opposite side of the clearing. "Garet!" Garet groaned and tried to get to his feet, but another vine sent him flying again before he could react. Isaac was the leader. He couldn't leave.

"Clay Spire!" The rock attack struck the plant at the center, catching it by surprise. This, unfortunately, only did minor damage and brought the plant's attention back to its original target. "Ragnarok!" The greenery hissed again, but recovered quickly.

"Isaac! What are you doing? Get going!"

"I'm not leaving you like this!" He dodged more vines and cast another Clay Spire.

Garet stuck his sword into the ground for support as he stood up. "I'm fine Isaac. Now go!" To prove that he really was fine, he ran at what he decided had to be a new monster of some sort and hacked away at as many appendages he could. However, with every green rope he destroyed, what he had cut would grow back and two smaller vines would splinter out from it. "Eruption!" That seemed to do the trick for a moment, but then the charred remains lashed out even more and new vines appeared to replace the ones beyond repair. "There's just no beating this thing!"

Isaac was still casting alternating attacks of Ragnarok and Clay Spire, unableto useany otherspells for fear of Garet being caught in the attack. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, another vine shot into the air from the center and down towards Isaac, dodging every attack and quickly following its target when Isaac tried to sidestep.

And then it happened again. The Star's power burned in Isaac's chest and he froze for a brief second as he continued to dance away from the offending vine. _What was that_? He didn't have time to think on it as he was tripped by a smaller vine on the ground. The Earth Adept rolled onto his back and raised a hand to cast another Ragnarok, but the incoming vine split into a five fingered, clawed hand half his size at the last second. Isaac gasped, his eyes wide, and there was a flash of golden Venus Psynergy as the hand crashed down on him. A cloud of dust was thrown into the air.

"Isaac!" Garet tried running for his friend, but was struck again from the side and sent sliding across the ground.

Something burst out from the dust, and Isaac soon found himself pinned to the stone wall. More vines joined the first, retraining his hands and clasping his neck. Isaac struggled, his booted feet digging into the earth behind him. A hole formed in the green hand, leaving his chest armor exposed. Isaac struggled even more and began to sweat. Every vine that held him began to pulse with a dark aura. He could hardly breathe, feeling as though every inch of him was being torn apart.

"_Isaac_!" Garet again scrambled to his feet, but hadn't takenthree running step towards his trapped friend before he was pinned to a tree as well.

"G-Garet…" Tears were in Isaac's eyes, and a golden glow was shining through the hole in the vine. He couldn't think clearly. In those few moments, he had never been so terrified or in so much pain in his entire life.

"Let him go, you stupid plant! Inferno! Flare!" Garet struggled against his own restraints, but they somehow kept him from using Psynergy as well. "Scorch!" Instead of theminiture creature appearing on his shoulder, Garet could feel the small presence shiver weakly in the back of his mind. Not even Djinn could help them now.

A cry from the young leader brought Garet's mind back to the fight. Something was appearing, gradually and reluctantly being pulled _out _of Isaac through the hole. The dark vines pulsed faster. After a few more seconds that seemed like eternity, there was a bright flash, forcing Garet to look away. Isaac's pained cries had stopped and turning back, Garet couldn't believe what was happening.

Floating in the open in front of its previous owner was a glowing, golden orb very similar to the Venus Star they had taken from the statue in Sol Sanctum. The _True_ Star of Venus.

The plant seemed to hiss in delight this time as a vine carefully wrapped around the object. No sooner had the offender touched the Star did the glow vanish and the orb's color grow dull. Isaac's eyes seemed to become unfocused and glazed over, as though seeing something that wasn't there. His breath caught in his throatas every vine retreated into theearth with its prize, and the Venus Adept fell limply to the ground. For a short time, everything was silent, even the wind.

Freed of his bonds, Garet stepped forward hesitantly. "I-Isaac?" No response, and Garet's stomach plummeted. "C-Come on, pal. T-this isn't funny." Garet's hands shook at his sides as he stared at the unmoving form. Then, shaking his head, he broke into a run. "Isaac! Wake up!" He dropped to his knees in front of his friend and grabbed the blonde's shoulders. "Isaac. Don't do this to me. Wake up. Please!" Still, the boy was silent. Not even a breath escaped him to show that he was alive. If there was breathing, it was barely there.

Garet was shaking almost uncontrollably now, but he refused to believe what was in front of him and spoke in a low, determined voice. "Isaac, if you can hear me then by Mars listen to me. You're not giving up. You can't let some object like that choose whether…whether you live or not. You're tougher than that. Isaac, answer me!" He shook Isaac's shoulders. "Don't you dare leave me! Or the others! Jenna's expecting both of us to come to her rescue, so don't you dare give up now! Isaac!"

"_Garet_." Garet sat still. Isaac cracked one eye, but he couldn't really see his friend in front of him as he used the last bit of air in him to add a quiet, "_I'm sorry_."

With that, Isaac of Vale was gone, and the sky let the rain fall.

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Yuja: I'm going to be hurt for this one, aren't I? I wasn't going to post it for at least a few more days, but I couldn't focus on my other stories with this one looming over me.

Isaac: I KNEW IT! I KNEW YOU WERE TRYING TO KILL ME! IT'S A CONSPIRACY! HOW COULD YOU JUST DO ME IN LIKE THAT! I THOUGHT YOU LIKED ME!

Yuja: (sweatdrop) Would you relax already-

Isaac: RELAX? RELAX! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO _RELAX_? YOU JUST _KILLED_ ME!

Yuja: Um…yeah…about that…

Jenna: (highly amused) Let him rant. If we're lucky, he'll hyperventilate and pass out. That'll shut him up.

Isaac: I SHOULD'VE KNOWN THIS WAS COMING! EVER SINCE YOU HAD THAT DREAM WHERE I WAS KILLED, I SHOULD'VE KNOWN YOU WOULD WRITE SOMETHING LIKE THIS!

Yuja: n.n;; As consolation for such a terrible cliff hanger, I promise the next chapter will be up very shortly. If anyone thinks I should change the genre of this story, _please_ tell me. I'm debating between drama and angst. And I swear that when I'm typing this I've been putting double spaces between sentences, but they keep getting deleted whenever I upload the chapter. XP This is getting annoying.


	5. While You Were Out

Star of Venus

Chapter 5

Yuja: I really need to fix those early chapters… Moving on… See? Told you I would update soon.

Jenna: Only because you wanted to minimize the bodily harm you would face if you didn't.

Isaac: (heard in the distance) I STILL SAY IT'S A CONSPIRACY!

Jenna: We get to leave him locked up for the rest of the chapter, right?

Yuja: n.n;; I think that would be best. And about this chapter. I think I wound up having the last chapter mostly focused on Garet and Isaac's perspectives on things. So I added a piece to the beginning of this chapter to include Mia's and part of Ivan's perspectives.

Jenna: Yuja doesn't own Golden Sun.

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Mia sat silently at the table as Ivan polished his staff opposite her. Isaac had left in a foul mood, and Garet had followed soon after. If anyone could calm the young leader down, it was his best friend, or rather, his near brother. Mia thought back to the day she had first met the trio of travelers. Isaac had been near mute back then, speaking only if pressured or if Garet forgot to mention something important when explaining things to her. Mia, however, suspected that Garet had been forgetful on purpose, judging from how he kept subtly elbowing the miniature Ivan beside him for answering questions instead of leaving them for Isaac.

Ivan looked up from his chore, his face stern. "Something's…off."

"What do you mean?" The boy stood and moved to the front door, dodging another customer as he slipped out of the opening. Mia emerged on the street behind him a few seconds later. He was staring towards the woods. She could sense the several Djinn that had been resting moments earlier begin to stir in the back of her mind. "Ivan, are your Djinn starting to act up, too?"

The boy nodded. "They know something's wrong. Something's happening around here." He winced. _Could you all quiet down up there?_

Just then, a flash of golden light seemed to shoot up from the forest, lighting the gray sky for a short time. Though she couldn't explain it, Mia suddenly felt cold, and she saw Ivan shiver briefly in front of her. "Ivan, what was that?"

Ivan's eyes narrowed, the clamoring of his Djinn giving him a headache. "Venus Psynergy. A large amount of it."

----------

_Garet. I'm sorry_.

Isaac's final words, and they had been an apology. Garet had almost grinned, thinking his friend was really going to be okay, that he had only been stunned, but Isaac's eye had then closed again and his head rolled limply on his shoulders. Garet stared at his friend, still not willing to believe what he was seeing. There were scorch marks on the armor from where the Star had emerged, but no other sign of physical harm aside from a few scratches. _He could almost be sleeping_.

----------

_Isaac, please be alright._ Mia ran out of the town in the direction they had seen the flash.

"Mia! Wait!" called Ivan, chasing after the girl while also lagging behind to wait for their newest acquaintance. Mia, however, had already entered the tree line.

She called the names of her missing friends as she ran. "Isaac? Garet? Where are you?"

"Mia." Mia stopped running as she turned to see the Mars Adept standing a short distance to her left. There was a clearing not too far behind him, but her vision was blocked by the trees and downpour that had started since leaving the inn.

"Garet?" He was soaked to the bone in the rain, but she couldn't see his downcast face as he refused to look up at her. Mia feared the worst. "G-Garet, where's Isaac?"

Garet shook his head. "I-I couldn't…He's…" He clenched his hands into fists as he trembled where he stood. Was that the rain, or was he… Mia didn't wait for him to continue before darting past. He could hear her heartbreaking yells and sobs behind him as Ivan, carrying Isaac's dropped sword, and Celestia approached.

"Garet? Where's Isaac? What was that flash-." Ivan cut himself off as he too heard Mia. He stared at Garet, stunned. "Then, what I felt, was-?" Like Mia, Ivan didn't wait for the silent Garet before running past, slipping slightly on the wet grass. Celestia moved to stand beside Garet, staring into the clearing at the scene in front of her. Mia was on her knees hugging Isaac's body to her and crying into his scarf. Mia couldn't remember how many times she had patched that thing since leaving Imil.

"I failed him." Celestia looked at the Adept beside her. "I couldn't…couldn't protect him."

"Where is the Star?" she asked firmly. Garet shook his head. Celestia turned back to the others, but she was still speaking quietly to Garet. "They attacked sooner than I thought they would." She seemed to remember something. "If I act quickly, then maybe…" Garet looked up at these last words, but the girl had already sprinted over to the fallen warrior. "Mia, I know this is difficult, but you must let go of him," she said quietly to the healer. Mia seemed to be refusing at first, until Celestia added, "I might be able to help." Mia reluctantly let her pull Isaac away so that he was propped against the stone.

The three travelers could only watch as the girl closed her eyes and began to quietly mumble something they couldn't understand, placing one hand on Isaac's armor where the Star had been. For a few seconds, it seemed like nothing was happening, but then a faint light overhead caused them to look up as a dotted trail of yellow light floated down to them. The lights hovered briefly before moving quickly to where the dark-haired girl's hand rested and entered the body. The armor seemed to glow momentarily, but when it vanished, the travelers heard something they had thought they would never hear again: Isaac gasping for air between coughs that shook his entire form.

"Isaac!" No sooner had Celestia pulled away had Mia flung her arms around him and was crying again, this time for joy. "Mercury, I thought you were gone!"

"Mia? What're you talking about?"

Ivan now fell to his knees as well, shaking with delight. "H-He's really okay. Isaac! You're okay!" Isaac soon found himself being strangled between his two sobbing friends. Garet could only stare at his revived comrade, hardly daring to breathe for fear of waking up to the nightmare he had lived moments before.

_----------_

"_So you're sure you want to go through with this? You really are starting to look tired."_

_Isaac nodded, staring through the nearest barred gate at the crowd of awaiting spectators. "We need information, Garet."_

"_This is crazy. We already saved the guy. Why can't Babi just be happy with that?"_

"_You there! Don't talk about Lord Babi with such disrespect!." Garet glared daggers silently at the guard, causing the man to jump and return to his post without another word._

"_You worry too much."_

"_Why shouldn't I? You may be the leader, but you're still as much a brother to me as Aaron is!" Isaac didn't respond. Garet sighed. "What are we going to do with you?" Isaac failed to hide some interest in those words. "First we can't get you to talk, and now I can't talk you out of being a stubborn fool. And don't let me hear you later making any smart remarks about me saying that," he finished quickly. Isaac couldn't resist giving his friend a faint smile._

"_Attention! The third round of Colosso is about to begin. Contestants, please report to the starting lines."_

_Isaac turned and walked away before Garet could stop him. "Don't worry about me, Garet."_

_Six obstacles later, with the secret help of his friends, Isaac was fighting in the arena. Ivan and Mia were jumping up and down on the sidelines, cheering their friend on, but they hadn't seen Isaac before he entered the arena. Garet, however, had been positioned at the fifth obstacle._

"_And Satrage is defeated! Isaac is the winner!"_

"_Amazing."_

"_And such a late entry."_

"_Isaac won!"_

"_He's so young. Is he even old enough for this competition?"_

"_Yes! That's the kid I told you about! The one I bet my money on!"_

"_Hold on people. What's this? Our young champion isn't looking so good."_

"_Isaac!"_

----------

Garet shivered, both from the cold and from the memory. All that the audience had cared about was the show. Where they saw a swordsman providing entertainment, Garet had seen one of his closest friends collapse as though…

"Isaac, you had us so worried!" sobbed Mia, refusing to let go.

At a loss of what to do, Isaac was hugging her back. "Mia, it's okay. I'm alright. A little tired and wet, but alright."

"You should get him back to his room," said Celestia matter-of-factly. "He needs rest."

"Yes, yes, of course," responded Mia, finally beginning to contain herself. Then she realized who had yet to join in the celebration. "Garet?" Looking back to the edge of the clearing, Garet had half turned away from the group. At the sound of his name, he turned his attention back to them. "Are you okay?"

Garet glanced at each face, lingering on Isaac, before nodding. "Sure."

----------

It didn't take long getting Isaac back to the inn, dried off, and into bed. Celestia waited outside of the room for the other three to emerge from making Isaac comfortable.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do more."

"What are you talking about?" asked Mia quietly, closing the door behind her. "You brought him back to life!"

"Not exactly, and I'm afraid it isn't permanent." There was a stunned silence before the girl continued. "All that I did was summon back enough of the Star's power to keep him alive for now. The rest was too far away, and I did not know the proper incantation to bring back more from a greater distance. However, with the amount he has, he will gradually grow weaker."

Ivan was the first to word what everyone was thinking. "What do we have to do? How can we save him?"

Celestia studied the boy as though wondering if he was up to the challenge. "He needs the True Star back. If you can get it and bring it back here, I most likely can reconnect the bond between it and him. Only then can he recover."

"We'll do it," stated Garet coldly almost before Celestia was finished talking. "Just tell us what you know that might help us."

----------

Isaac drifted between consciousness and sleep. He struggled to stay awake, afraid of the visions that plagued him whenever he dozed. Most of the flashbacks included a green, gnarled hand rushing at him. Around sunset, Ivan was relieved of the task of sitting with the leader by Mia. As the wind seer left and the healer entered, Garet appeared behind her and rested a hand heavily on her shoulder.

"Garet, what are you doing up? You should be resting."

"I'm tired of resting. Why don't you let me stay with him? You can go on down to dinner." Mia thought better of arguing, and Garet was soon standing in a room that was empty except for the bed's sleeping occupant. Garet stood at the window, watching the sun disappear, when Isaac woke again.

"Your turn to worry over me already?"

Garet stayed staring out of the window. "Don't get too happy about it."

There was a pause before Isaac continued. "I just don't see why everyone is acting like I'm going to vanish or something." He thought he heard a noise and sniff. "Garet?"

"What?"

"What happened? The last thing I remember was that vine chasing me."

Garet left the window, his arms crossed as he walked around the room, never once looking at Isaac or getting very close. "Why don't you go back to sleep?"

Isaac sat up. "Why don't you tell me what happened?" He waited for an answer. When one didn't come, he persisted. "Garet, what happened with that plant?"

"You know what I was thinking about after the fight while you were…out?" Isaac shook his head, though he knew Garet couldn't see him. "I was thinking about the Colosso tournament. How, when you collapsed after the battle, how I thought…how I was…" He ran a hand over his face. "I had hoped that I wouldn't ever have to face that again, but today…in the forest…"

Now Isaac was sure of it. The Mars Adept had been like this when he had woken after his final Colosso match. Garet was trying to be tough and not show how he really felt, how his emotions were showing through and affecting him. Possibly with an anxiety attack, thought Isaac, judging from how much pacing he was doing. But what could make tough Garet so nervous? Isaac hadn't seen him so anxious since Jenna and Kraden were kidnapped. Garet had kicked himself for a full week after that. "Just tell me what happened already. I must've blacked out, 'cause I don't remember anything up to Mia and Ivan nearly strangling me."

Blacked out. _Blacked out_? He had _died_, yet his best guess at what had happened was that he had _blacked out_! That was enough to make Garet want to almost choke him. He instead settled for a short-lived smile.

"You remember the vine becoming a hand?"

"Yeah, but not much after that."

"Good. Nothing much happened. You got knocked out, Mia and Ivan arrived, and the three of us wiped out the overgrown plant. Happy?"

Isaac was almost glaring at his friend's back. "Ecstatic." Isaac looked to where his armor rested on the dresser. "There are marks on my equipment," he said quietly. Garet stiffened. "It's like they were burned. Any idea how that happened?" When Garet didn't answer, Isaac started getting annoyed again. "What did Mia mean when she said everyone thought I was gone?" Garet moved as though to leave. "Garet! What happened? What aren't you telling me?"

"Just get some rest."

"Garet! Answer me! I have a right to kn-!"

Garet spun on his heel. "You really want to know what happened? Fine! You died, Isaac! That _monster_ took the Star away and for a while you _died_! That's why your armor is burned! That's why everyone was so happy when you woke up! That's why-"

Mia and Ivan almost flew through the door. "What's going on, Garet? We heard _raised_ voices," questioned Mia almost accusingly.

"Isaac's supposed to be resting, so what are you doing arguing with him?" scolded Ivan, staring up at the Mars Adept. "Just what are you two yelling at?"

"Nothing." Garet stomped past them.

Isaac sat frozen in his bed, but when Garet was at the door, he threw the covers aside. "So that's it? You're just going to shout that at me and _leave_?" Isaac attempted to jump out of bed, but the moment his feet touched the floor his legs gave out.

Garet glanced over his shoulder. Mia rushed forward to catch Isaac, followed by Ivan. "Isaac, what are you doing?"

Isaac ignored her. _Why can't I walk?_ Getting over the shock, Isaac glared up at Garet. "So that's what you were hiding from me? If I really died, then why am I alive now?"

Garet just stared down at them before leaving, Isaac still yelling at him to come back and Mia still trying to calm down Isaac. Even when Garet reached his own room down the hall, he could still hear Isaac yelling, though the swordsman seemed to finally calm down when he realized Garet wasn't coming back. Why had he told Isaac that? Isaac would've been mad at him if he had still refused to tell, but to just yell it at him and then leave…

The last slivers of sunlight were disappearing quickly, but Garet didn't light the lamp on the bedside table. He leaned against the door after closing it, staring silently at the darkening room. As night fell over the town, he finally sat down on his bed, his face buried in his hands, and cried.

--------------------

Yuja: See, Isaac? I didn't leave you dead for too long.

Isaac: …(still fuming)

Yuja: Ugh. Now for the hard part of getting the story going from here.

Isaac: That's what you get for killing me.

Yuja: Oh, for crying out loud! I brought you back, didn't I?

Jenna: What is with you and writing depressing endings?

Yuja: Beats me. That's why I thought of changing the genre to angst. And for those that asked, no. Celestia is not leaving the story. A friend explained to me exactly what makes an OC Mary-Sueish, and said that as long as I keep my original plans for her then she should okay. Trust me peoples, there are reasons for why she acts the way she does, which will start being explained next chapter. She is only human, afterall…

Celestia: I don't like the way you said that.

Yuja: And more on the odd behavior of the Djinn next chapter, too. Chapter 6 is probably going to be an explanation chapter before the actual adventure begins.


	6. The Calm Before the Storm

Star of Venus

Chapter 6

Yuja: You probably could say that this is more of a filler chapter (it's kind of short), as well as a final attempt to show the relation between the characters before I start writing the main part of this story. I'm going to try to not drag this one out like I did with "New Kid".

Jenna: You really have a thing for flashbacks, don't you?

Yuja: n.n;; Oh, gee. Would you look at that? Maybe I depend on flashbacks a little too much. And there are hints at Isaac/Mia in here. There have been all throughout this story, actually, but it just hasn't been obvious. Basically, they kinda like each other at this point, but Ivan and Garet are the only ones that really notice it. And Garet does have feelings for Jenna. So, there. The pairing question has been solved before it could even be asked. :-P And I still stink at writing romance or anything remotely related, so I'm trying to avoid it.

Jenna: Yuja doesn't own Golden Sun.

Since there were so many reviews for chapter 5 (me very, very happy), I've saved them for the end.

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It had all been a blur, a rush of adrenaline that kept him fighting when he knew he couldn't win. Just one confusing blur. Anything to buy time. Anything to help his friend. No, not just any friend. It had been one of the two people that had stuck with him after the catastrophe, after the storm. In this battle, he had needed to save one friend so that they could continue fighting to save the other.

----------

"_Curses. We don't have a choice. Menardi! Finish off that brat."_

_The woman with the pink skin nodded before she turned her attention back to her opponent. Isaac was panting as he braced himself. He couldn't keep dodging, but there was no way he could compete with these people._

_Isaac glanced over to where his fallen friend lay unconscious, his wooden sword laying broken beside him. What would happen if he lost, too? He couldn't take that risk. He had to keep fighting. They had to get away and find help. Isaac should've run ahead for help, but Garet would be left alone with these strange people. Meanwhile, four people were in the river, possibly dead already, but Isaac couldn't turn his back on the one who needed help now. At least he knew Garet was still alive._

_Isaac turned back to the woman as she charged. _This is it._ Isaac dodged, then brought his wooden sword down on the woman's back. Or so he thought. But his poor excuse for a weapon only met air. Looking up, there was a flash of red and orange, and then darkness took him._

----------

Why did this keep happening? Every time he tried to protect someone, he only let them down time and time again. And each time someone else was hurt. He hadn't seen any visible injuries on the Mars Adept in the short time they had talked and argued, but that wasn't saying much when it came to Garet. He could easily hide an injury for days without complaint, even though Mia scolded him for it every time.

"What if it got infected? What if it hindered you in battle?" she would say, but then Garet would grin and play dumb and Mia, at a loss of what else to do, would resign herself to healing him, issuing more words of disapproval under her breath as she worked.

Isaac smiled sadly at the thought, but the smile soon faded. Was Garet hiding his injuries now? Could Mia heal them? Could Mia heal legs that refused to support the body of the owner? Probably not. This wasn't something Psynergy could fix.

"You will be confined to your bed for a while, most likely until the Star is retrieved," Celestia was saying. How long had she been talking without him hearing? "You should not put yourself under any unnecessary strain if you wish to help conserve your strength. However," she turned to Mia and Ivan behind her, "I feel it would be best if he was moved to my house. Whoever took the Star will notice that part of it is missing, and I would not be surprised if he or she were to send for it." Mia didn't seem particularly fond of the idea, but she agreed nonetheless.

"What about the Djinn?" Ivan stroked the small Venus Djinni that rested in his hand. The tiny creature shivered as though cold, but it didn't wake. Isaac guessed that it was Flint from the darker brown spot on its back. "What can we do about them?"

"I am afraid that I do not fully understand what is affecting the Djinn. It seems that they responded negatively when the Star was exposed, and those of the Venus alignment have shown the worst reaction."

Fizz appeared on Mia's shoulder, and the healer ran a finger over its head. "Maybe it's because the Djinn are connected to the four stars and lighthouses. Each time we meet a new Djinni, it can sense that we are Adepts. If this True Star contains so much power, then perhaps the Djinn are even more sensitive to it, and the strength of it overpowered all of Isaac's Venus Djinn."

Celestia nodded. "That is very likely."

"Celestia, just how do you know so much about the Star?" asked Ivan cautiously. "If you don't mind my asking, that is."

Celestia stared down at the boy for a moment before answering. "It is one of the sole purposes of my being. For ages, my family has waited for the Star to return. The Venus Star first originated here in Terra, and my family was made of the priests and priestesses that served to guard it. Now I am the last of my clan, and unfortunately even I do not know every secret that was intended to be passed down the line. You can relate, can you not, Mia of Imil?"

At first, Mia seemed surprised to hear her name that way, but she nodded. "There was another, but he chose…a different path," she finished sadly.

"Then we are not so different. I once had a younger cousin, but she strayed from her teachings and suffered the consequences. If Isaac stays here at the Inn while you are gone, not only will you have to pay the bill, but I cannot guarantee his protection. Granted, I have not learned the more advanced techniques of my line, but I can fend off any intruders for a certain length of time. Now, if you will excuse me, I will leave you alone to spend time together before you depart." She bowed politely and exited, leaving the three Adepts together in the room.

"Don't you worry, Isaac," assured Ivan. "We'll get that Star back to you in no time."

Mia frowned. "We don't know very much about that girl. Do you really think we can trust her?"

Ivan could barely keep from laughing. "Yes, Mia. She's not an Adept, so she didn't even notice me using Mind Read. Everything she said was the truth."

The healer only seemed half convinced, but she dropped the question and turned back to Isaac. "Are you sure you'll be okay while we're gone?"

Isaac nodded. "Yeah. It's not like I can do much else other than sit in bed while I wait."

"Then we'll do our best to be back as soon as possible." She was staring down at the young leader with a faint smile, but Ivan could easily see through to the concern and distress she felt.

"Um, I'm going to go check on the other Venus Djinn. See you later." The boy waved over his shoulder as he left as well, closing the door again behind him. Out in the hall, he spared a sideways glance at the red head that leaned silently against the wall next to the door, his hands in his pockets. "He doesn't blame you. You know that," he said as he passed, the small Flint cupped protectively in his hands. The older Adept seemed to slouch a little more, but Ivan didn't say anything else as he walked to his room.

Mia continued staring down at Isaac, but he only stared at the foot of his bed. Finally, she couldn't take the silence anymore. "Isaac, about yesterday morning, I-"

"Don't, Mia. None of this was your fault. If it was anyone's fault, it was mine for being an idiot and leaving the town boundaries in the first place."

"You're not an idiot."

"I'm not a genius." There was another pause of silence between them. "Has Garet been healed?"

"Yes, but he didn't have many injuries."

"Are you sure? You know he's stubborn and likes to hide them."

"You mean like you?" Mia sighed when Isaac didn't respond. "Yes, Isaac. I'm sure."

"Getting back the Star won't be easy. It's going to be dangerous. You don't have to do this."

Mia shook her head. "No, we do have to do this. Ivan was right, you know? If it weren't for you, we would have been lost ages ago."

"I hate to ask you this, but, what happened in the woods when I…was out? What is it that no one's telling me?"

Mia hesitated. "What do you think? You scared us, all of us. I didn't want to believe it. I was the first to find Garet…and you. I-" For some reason, she cut herself off and changed track. "And Garet…I've never seen him so cold like that before, not even after Colosso." She thought about it. "Actually, he did change after your final match, but he recovered when we realized you would be all right. He didn't want us to say anything to you about it, though he did a poor job at hiding it himself. What happened last night between you two, anyway?"

"Nothing. Just a disagreement."

"He didn't want you to know about it. About the Star being taken and all, that is."

"I don't see why. I'm stronger than I used to be."

"He cares about you, Isaac. We all do. Being strong has nothing to do with it."

----------

"_Isaac!"_

_The blonde continued walking with an angry pace. "Just forget about it, Jenna."_

"_Isaac, he didn't mean it. Garet's just worried about you. He's just too stubborn to say it. To be honest, you've got me worried, too." She came up beside him._

"_Why? Because I'm so weak?"_

"_You aren't weak." Isaac made a noise at that. "Isaac, please. I know what you're going through, you know that better than anyone, but isolating yourself like this isn't the solution."_

----------

Isaac sighed. It was creepy how history always seemed to repeat itself. "I know he does. Sorry, Mia. I shouldn't have lost my temper like I did."

Mia smiled. "We understand. Um, you should probably get some rest. Celestia said there's still a risk that whoever stole the Star might come back, so, um, do you want me…or someone else…to stay with you?"

"Thanks, but I'll be alright." He gave her a grateful smile back. "Actually, when you leave, could you tell Garet that he doesn't need to wait in the hall anymore?"

There was a thump against the wall near the door from the outside. Mia stifled a laugh. "Sure thing." She cracked the door open and poked her head out. "You can quit hiding, now." She opened the door further and Garet soon emerged gloomily in the opening, his hands still in his pockets. "I'll just leave you two to talk things out," she said, giving Garet a shove into the room as she left and closed the door.

For a few minutes, the two just stood – or sat, in Isaac's case – in silence. Finally, Garet shifted his weight on his feet. "Sorry for leaving you like that yesterday."

Isaac waved it off. "Don't worry about it. I didn't exactly leave you much of a choice when it came to telling me what happened. Still, I am glad you told me. It just…wasn't what I had expected to hear."

"I don't think anyone expects to hear something like that." Garet hesitated before continuing. "So, we're okay again? You aren't still mad at me?"

Isaac nodded. "Especially now that it looks like my life is literally in your hands. Wait. Shouldn't I be more worried about that?"

Garet pretended to be insulted. It was settled. They were pals again.

----------

"Checkmate."

Ivan used his pale wooden bishop to tap Isaac's darker wooden king, knocking the piece over and setting his in its place. Garet had helped Ivan find a chess board that wasn't attached to the tables, and Ivan had quickly set up the game on Isaac's end table. Already Isaac had lost four times.

Isaac hadn't even noticed Ivan's bishop when he had taken his turn. "Wha-? H-how did you-?"

"Seriously, Isaac, do you even try to beat me at this?" He started moving the miniature army back into place, barely concealing his triumphant grin.

"One more game. I'm going to beat you this time."

"That's what you said last time."

"What if I paid you to take it easy on me?"

"Bribery will get you nowhere with me, Isaac."

"What if I don't tell Mia that Garet's not the only one sneaking a few extra coins at mealtime?"

"I suppose I could invent some kind of handicap." He finished arranging the pieces. "I'll let you take two moves before me this time. We'll see if that helps or if you really are hopeless at this."

Isaac moved one pawn, then paused. "Your repeated wins wouldn't have anything to do with your Mind Read ability, would they?"

Ivan seemed to stiffen, and Isaac held back a knowing smile as he moved another piece. He still lost, but not as horribly as usual. Again, the game was set up and another round started, though a win still wasn't promising for Isaac. "And here I'm supposed to be the leader, and I can't even beat a kid at a game of strategy."

"Don't put yourself down, Isaac. It's not your fault for playing against a kid who just happens to be a genius."

"You mean a genius cheater?"

"I'm not cheating! I'm using my resources!"

"Nice try." He moved his queen. "Check."

Ivan was silent for a moment as he stared at the board. No matter what he might try, Isaac would win in the next turn. "You tricked me!"

Isaac leaned smugly back against his pillows. "I was just using my resources," he said casually. Isaac may have been like a younger brother to Garet, but Ivan was like a younger brother at times to Isaac as well, and it was fun to tease him every now and then.

Then there was Mia, always trying to keep the boys in line and good health. When they had first met, she had seemed like the shy, quiet type. However, soon after joining the party, Isaac had quickly discovered that she did have another side to her personality, though he wasn't sure how to describe it. She liked the rain and was only unhappy when others were hurt. She acted serious and angry at times, but the guys always knew she was pretending in order to get them to do things.

Now it seemed like all of that was going away. The three were preparing to go on a new guest, and he couldn't be with them during it. He couldn't even get out of bed without falling over, much less wield a sword in battle or travel who knew how many miles.

----------

Celestia's house had two floors, and Isaac had been put in what was now the downstairs guest bedroom. He hadn't been given the tour like his friends, thanks to the fact that his legs refused to support him at all anymore, but they told him the basic layout. Ivan and Mia's favorite feature was that there were two rooms, one per floor, full of old looking books and scrolls.

"We'll be back as soon as we can," said Mia, starting to repeat herself.

"At least now he has to take it easy and relax, for once," Garet joked. Isaac gave a mock sarcastic laugh, but couldn't resist grinning some.

"Just think of it as though you're slacking off in Garet's place," added Ivan, poking Garet in the side with his staff. This of course led to another friendly argument that Mia had to break up. After a few more minutes and farewells, they were gone. Isaac stared out the window, but all that could be seen was the top of a few flower bushes in a narrow garden between the houses. Isaac sighed. This was it. _Be careful, guys._

"Well, we're finally on the road again," stated Garet as they put more distance between them and the house.

"Let's just focus on our mission this time. No side quests and no distractions," said Ivan beside him.

"Sounds like a plan to me." They were nearing the edge of town, and Garet realized they were one person short. "Mia?" Slowing to a stop and turning around, Garet saw her standing not far back along the road, staring in the direction of the building that housed their leader. "He'll be okay without us for a while, Mia, so let's hurry and get that Star so we can have the old Isaac back again."

Mia glanced briefly over her shoulder, then back to the house. "I know. It's just that…" She sighed and caught up with the boys. "You're right. Let's go."

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Yuja: And now for the long awaited review responses.

Jenna: Hold it! You aren't gonna comment more on the story?

Yuja: No. I've waited long enough to reply to these things. (As usual, I'm going in order of submission.)

Sorceress Sakura: Tell LJJ to not insult the greatness of dolls. :-P I still collect porcelain dolls, and I'm 18! Maybe that's why I act like a kid sometimes… Anyways, getting back on topic. You should've known I couldn't leave Isaac dead for long. It would kill the story and drive me nuts! And Isaac the muse would forever annoy me.

Isaac: That hasn't stopped you from killing off/planning to kill off characters in your original fiction stories.

Yuja: n.n;;

Kd7sov: Yeah, the flashback was basically to show Garet's thoughts on the whole thing. The more in depth reason was to show how Garet had felt when he thought he had come close to losing his best friend in Colosso (he had been a grouch after that part in the game, too), and then again in chapter 4, only a lot worse since Isaac actually was dead for a short time. I don't know why, but I like using flashback sequences to show less obvious emotions and thoughts. They also help show why characters act the way they do.

Spirit Seer: Yes, I will update TNK someday, though FI will probably get updated again 1st. I'm trying to rotate my stories so none get forgotten again.

Mercury Gold: What's a Mary Sue? Good question n.n;; Some people were saying that Celestia was one, though I'm pretty sure they'll change their minds in future chapters.

Midnight C: ((falls out of her chair)) To be honest, I thought I was imagining things when I saw that I had gotten a review from you _and_ Triad Orion. Yes, Ivan and Mia were kind of forgotten for a while there, but they do play a larger role in upcoming chapters. Wow, I guess I must be doing something right if I actually made you feel "giddy." n.n

Triad Orion: Yay! Cookies! Thank you so much for the review. Considering how both you and Midnight C both pointed out the same thing, I guess that part could use some work. So, like I said in the response to Midnight C, those two will have bigger parts soon. And about those early chapters…heheh ((sweatdrop)) …um, yeah, that was my 1st attempt at fanfiction over 2 years ago, and I completely agree that they are lousy as all get out. I might rewrite them someday. And I was reading back through the past chapters and I can't believe how many spaces were deleted when I uploaded. Seriously, I do use spell check and re-read every chapter several times before posting, so I might have to go back and fix all of that someday, too.

Somebody: Yes, I was mean to poor Garet, and it wasn't easy doing it.

Garet: Like heck it wasn't! It took you all of a few minutes to write that scene!

Yuja: ((throws jacket over him)) Ignore the man behind the coat and thanks for the review. :-)


	7. Knowledge is the Only Threat

**Star of Venus**

**Chapter 7**

Okay… so maybe this fic did get put on the sidelines for a year… But, by golly, it's not dead yet! And neither is Garet's little story!

Isaac: And you need to stop watching Monty Python.

Don't make me get the duck tape.

Sheba: We interrupt this scene of threatening to bring a word from our disclaimers.

Jenna: Yuja doesn't own Golden Sun.

Sheba: We now return you to your irregularly scheduled chapter update.

And before it's pointed out, it's "Hama" in the first game, "Hamma" in the second game, where whoever was hired as translator also called Hsu "Ulmuch" in the second game.

Jenna: Heheh… I'm gonna have fun with that one later…

And now, without further adieu, we present the long awaited chapter 7.

**&&&&&&&&&**

Garet poked the fire with a long stick absentmindedly. It was already their first night since leaving Terra, though luckily nothing more than a few minor monster battles had happened all day.

"They either don't know we're coming for the Star or whoever has it doesn't care," mused Ivan quietly.

Mia shifted uneasily on the log she was sitting on. "It's strange… not having him here…" She didn't have to say how much she wanted to finish this new mission in a hurry; all of them felt the same about it.

Garet made a "humph" sound and poked the fire again, this time a little harder than intended and knocking down the burning teepee of wood. Ivan started to complain that he was going to kill the fire, which didn't help Garet's already sour mood. The fire Adept snapped the stick and stomped off with his hands in his pockets, throwing over his shoulder a quick, "I'm going for more wood."

Ivan fell silent and Mia waited until Garet was gone before speaking again. "There he goes again."

Ivan just focused on the fire. "It's not like I meant to make him mad."

The water Adept sighed and rested her chin on her hand. "I know you didn't. He's just been really uptight since leaving town, is all."

"You mean since what happened yesterday." Mia didn't agree or disagree on that. Ivan gave an annoyed sigh and slumped down with his back to the short log he had been using as a seat. "Seems like he's been uptight about everything relating to Isaac and Jenna lately. And Felix, too. Last week, I said something about Felix being a dog and doing whatever he was told, and that Jenna needed to stall more, and I thought Garet was going to fry me right then and there!"

"Can you blame him? He's known them his whole life. Felix is working with our enemies now and even helped kidnap his own sister, and now Isaac's in danger, too. Even if he's not been the one losing items and family all this time, Garet still has to watch those he's close to suffer or disappear."

Again, Ivan fell silent for a moment. "I wonder if this is what it was like for Master Hammet and Lady Layana, when I told them I would be leaving… And Hama. I don't know what it is, but there was something about her that I can't get over."

Mia smiled a little, remembering the psychic they had met at Lama Temple, then showed a knowing, teasing grin. "Falling for older women, Ivan?"

Ivan stared at her and stuttered for a moment, then once again quit talking altogether to stare at the fire, though it wasn't the fire's light making his face blush like that.

**&&&&&&&&&**

Isaac heard the tea kettle whistle shortly before Celestia removed it from the burner, then the shuffling of feet and a clinking sound. The girl soon appeared at his already open door with a tray. "This is a different recipe than the one you had earlier. It should help you regain some of your energy."

Isaac moved the tray with his dinner dishes, making room so she could set the new one on the end table that had been put beside the bed. This tray held the tea kettle and two cup and saucer sets. "Thanks. Sorry, I feel like I'm turning you into a maid in your own home."

She shook her head as she took the dinner tray from him. "No need to worry. I knew what would happen when I offered to let you stay here." Taking the tray from the room, she came back and pulled up a chair. "Here. This one is a recipe I learned from my grandmother. It helps restore strength and energy, so she used to make it whenever one of us was ill. Careful: it is hotter than most others."

The Adept gave a small thanks as he carefully took the offered drink. He made the mistake of holding the bottom of the saucer, and it was all he could do to not drop the dish until he could shift his hold. Celestia eyed him with a "told you so" look, but politely turned her attention to her own drink when he looked up. After blowing across the top several times, Isaac managed to take a small sip without causing too much harm.

They sat quietly like that for a few minutes, each staying occupied with his or her drink, before Isaac broke the silence. "So, you're a fan of books?" It wasn't much, if anything it was stating the obvious, but at least it was something. During the house tour, Ivan had almost been worse than a child in a toy store, coming back to Isaac to chatter for a full five minutes, in complete awe of the house book and scroll collections, before Garet had opened his mouth and the two were arguing again.

Celestia lowered her cup to stare at the bookcases lining the far wall. When she spoke, it was the same calm voice she never seemed to stray far from. "Not so much. Every book and piece of writing in this house has been here since before I can remember, aside from my own notes. They have been collected over many years by those of my clan, and soon they will be all that remains." She noticed Isaac's confused change of expression, but kept her gaze on the crowded shelves. "It is nothing unusual. Everyone must pass on at some point. My clan has long since passed its passing point. No matter how I try, or how much I study, the knowledge that made my clan what it was has already ended with my grandmother." Now she did turn her focus to Isaac. "What I did yesterday, the feat that brought you back, _that_ was the greatest extent of my abilities. Everything else I know is but a candle compared to a bonfire."

"So then, you really are like Mia," Isaac started carefully, afraid he was walking on thin ice now. "She's pretty much all that's left of Imil's Mercury clan, but she has two young apprentices that she's been training as well. If you wanted, you could probably do the same."

Celestia turned back to the books again, considering it a moment, but finally shook her head. Isaac noticed a new sadness come over her, even if she did hide it well. He saw the same thing happen with Mia at times, too. "No. I would not wish such a burden on another generation. But there is something I do wish." Isaac straightened slightly, as though that would help him hear clearer. "Everything in this house is precious to me, and as long as I am able, I will guard it. However," she paused before continuing, "I want it all destroyed before I leave this world, even if it means burning every last piece of paper myself."

She looked back at Isaac to find him dumbstruck. "You are uncertain as to why?" The girl didn't smile, but by her tone she did seem amused by his confusion and turned away once more. "Knowledge is the only threat the true Star faces. Knowledge cannot be taken back, whether it is gained by a good or tainted mind. In the wrong hands, knowledge can lay waste to entire villages, while at the same time be used to heal and restore. Eventually, Alchemy will wane, and the Star will rest. Until then, the only danger that will come to the Star will be from those with the knowledge of its existence. If there is no knowledge, there will be no threat."

There was another drawn out pause, but when Isaac opened his mouth she stood and left the room. Isaac stared at the cup still in his hands, now with only half of the tea left in it. Did Mia ever think like this? Did she ever regret passing her knowledge to those two children? She was already so quiet when it came to talking about Alex, or even her clan in general for that matter, that Isaac often wondered if it would've been better if she had stayed in Imil. The same went for whenever he thought about how Ivan and Garet had been pulled into this journey, as well as everyone else who had since become involved. If only he had never agreed to climb Mount Aleph.

Celestia soon returned again, this time carrying some items. "Here. I did not think you would want to spend another night sleeping in your underclothes, so I washed these earlier. I trust you can still dress yourself." Handing him a long night shirt and clean pair of pants, she started for the door again as Isaac thanked her for what must have been the millionth time that evening.

"They are very lucky."

"Excuse me?" Isaac looked up, not having noticed that his temporary caretaker has stopped again.

"Your companions. They have lost much, but have gained three close friends in return. I suppose all your cases are similar to that sense."

Isaac frowned uncertain. "Mia had her home and students. Ivan had Hammet and Lady Layana, not to mention is practically the heir to Kalay's top job. Garet's in line to be mayor of Vale after his grandfather and father. As for me… Well, all I ever seem to do is lead them into more danger." When he said nothing more, Celestia left and closed the door softly behind her.

**&&&&&&&&&**

"How… much… farther… now?"

Mia rolled her eyes. "About twenty feet less than how far we were the last time you asked." It was going to be a long day if Garet was going to start complaining this early.

Garet decided to ignore the included sarcasm. "Yeah, well, we weren't going uphill twenty feet ago, either."

Ivan snickered to himself as he walked behind the others. Pointing his right index finger at Garet's feet, he twirled it slowly in circles as a faint glow developed on his hand.

Oblivious to what was going on, Garet groaned as it got even harder to walk. "Why do we always seem to be going uphill? Why can't we ever go downhill?"

"Garet, we are going downhill," came Mia's annoyed response from the lead.

"We are?" Garet blinked confused a few times, taking a few more painful steps before slipping to his hands and knees with his head hung. "Ugggghh! Let's face it! My feet are going to fall off if I take another step!"

Ivan stifled a laugh as he strolled by, arms crossed and holding his precious Shaman Rod behind his head. "Sheesh, Garet. I guess that's what you get when you eat too much during breakfast. Maybe you shouldn't have taken half of my share."

"Whatever, Ivan. All I care about right now is- Huh?" Now that he was on the ground with his head still hanging, he had a clear upside down view of the ground he had been walking over; and the strong wind patterns in the dirt explained all. "_Iiiivvvvaaaaaaaaaaaannnn…_"

"So, Mia, what do you make of it? I mean, about what we're going to be up against and all." Meanwhile, Garet was glowering at the innocent acting boy's back, making a mental note to pay back the favor double fold later.

Mia chuckled, not having to look back to know Garet had been beaten again. "Not sure, really, aside from a possibly large amount of Venus Psynergy." Ivan nodded, and shivered at the thought of being up against so much of his weakness element at once.

"Ivan? Are you okay?" Mia stopped to stare at the younger boy. Ivan looked up at her, realizing he had stopped walking as well and really was shivering.

"I-I don't know. I feel really cold and tired all of a sudden." The boy brought his arms down from behind his head to hug himself, though that did little to fight off the sudden chill.

"You aren't getting sick, are you?" She stepped towards him when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. "Is it just me, or is this an odd place for a treasure chest?" she asked, turning her head to look at the object that was partially hidden by bushes and other foliage.

"S-since when did anyone put treasure chests in a reasonable place on this journey?" Ivan stuttered, eyeing the red chest with brass trim suspiciously. "I say we just leave it and keep moving."

Mia nodded. "I can agree with that." They both cringed at the next voice they heard.

"Hey! A treasure chest!" Garet had finally regained enough strength to stand and was heading straight for the chest. "Maybe this one will have a handy pair of floating boots I could use, or maybe something edible?"

Mia raised an eyebrow at him, wrapping a spare cloak over Ivan's shoulders. "Garet, hold on. It might be another-," she sighed dully when the chest cracked open on its own, showing the edges lined with teeth and extending three sets of insect arms from the sides, and earned a surprised yelp from Garet as he quickly backed off, "Mimic."

Garet drew his sword and took a defensive stance. "Great. As if we weren't having a bad enough week already."

"Yeah, well, have fun. We'll be right behind you." Ivan shrugged, though he didn't make any sort of supportive fight move.

Mia nodded, though unlike the guys, she was taking this seriously. "He's right. Those things are more resistant against Jupiter and Mercury powers than they are to Mars. Your attacks will do the most damage." Ivan looked ready to make some smart comment at Garet about that, but started wobbling in place instead before Mia steadied him. Garet grumbled some, but didn't waste time in running into battle with the Mimic.

"Mia, I feel funny," Ivan mumbled, eyes half-lidded and dull. "I think we should leave the Mimic and move on. I have a really bad feeling about this."

"Good luck telling Garet to quit." She thumbed towards the Mars adept, who was launching one fire attack right after the other at the monster. "He needs to blow off some steam, and how hard can one Mimic be all the way out here?"

"Actually, that's what worries me." He looked out at the forested area lining both sides of the dirt path. "There's only one Mimic, but I sense a lot more Venus Psynergy than one Mimic's worth here."

**&&&&&&&&&**

Isaac sat on the edge of the bed, lost in thought for a moment. Finally, he picked up from the floor the crutches that had been made for him, used the attached leather straps to secure the lower halves to his lower legs, and stood shakily. They had found earlier that he could still walk for short stretches, so long as he kept his legs straight and bent his knees as little as possible. Unfortunately, this was an awkward and uncomfortable way of walking, and the crutches acted more as stilts tied to him than as a way to take pressure off his feet. But beggars couldn't be choosers, and if there was one thing Isaac hated it was being bed bound.

Hobbling over to one bookcase, the Venus Adept started scanning the faded titles on some of the books. Most didn't have titles, only numbers or odd symbols, and scrolls of parchment were often squeezed in between.

Finally deciding on a brown leather book with gold trim and titled "Notes on Alchemy," Isaac started to pull out the inch-thick book when a smaller booklet and scroll roll toppled out. "Huh? What's this?" Kneeling the best he could, the Adept gathered up the dropped items, pausing when the booklet opened enough for him to see the painting on the first page.

It was a crude doodle of a yellow orb surrounded by green, curvy lines. Flipping through the booklet, Isaac found several pages with similar artwork, though most of the pages were filled with a child's handwriting. What really caught his attention, though, was one picture of curvy green lines coming out of a center point but above a brown line. Some of the green lines split at the ends into five points. Standing off to the side, almost off the page, were two small, stick figure people.

Isaac stared at the picture before wincing as the thought of the gnarled, green vine hand coming at him flashed across his mind again, almost making him drop the book. He leaned some against the bookshelf, waiting for the headache to pass and his vision to clear, not realizing yet that his vision was blurred by his own tears.

"What have I done?" he muttered shakily to himself. "What have I let them go up against?"

**&&&&&&&&&**

End of Chapter 7

**&&&&&&&&&**

Dun dun DUUUUN. Yay for suspense! (Ducks before the cliffhanger hating tomatoes can be thrown) o.O

As usual, thanks to everyone who has reviewed or will review. Now that TNK is finally finished and the sequel started – you can find both stories in the series posted in my profile (end shameless self-ad) – I'm hoping to start the story rotation plan again. Yup yup.

Isaac: She also plans to rewrite the starting chapters of this story. Riiiiiiigghhht?

Bleh, do I have to?

Jenna: Yes, because they are probably scaring off readers just as much as they scare you.

Oh, fine. Maybe I'll get around to it someday.

Muses: YUJA!

Meep!


	8. Don't Judge Too Quickly

**Star of Venus **

**Chapter 8 **

I'm blaming this chapter on listening to almost nothing but music by Nightwish and Within Temptation, "Losing My Religion" by REM, and "45" by Shinedown (blame my friend for making an AMV with it and getting me hooked). Although, the very last part in this chapter was written while listening mostly to the Japanese opening themes for Tales of Destiny 2 and Tales of the Abyss on infinite repeat.

Jenna: Not to mention nearly strangling FF.N for upload problems.

I'll save that mini rant for later. Disclaimer time!

Jenna: Yuja doesn't own Golden Sun. She does own this particular Celestia character, though.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

**&&&&&&&&&&**

"Garet! You just had to go and make them angry!"

"How the heck was I supposed to know those others were hiding behind it?"

"Garet, Mia, I know this is a stressful moment, but might I make a suggestion?" Ivan panted between words, almost out of breath. "Less yelling; more _running_!"

What had at first seemed to be a single rogue Mimic had turned out to be a group of three, and Garet had been just the thing to come along and ruin their day. To make matters worse, there had also been two rat-like Vermins in the area, and apparently having their tails set on fire by a stray Psynergy attack from Garet hadn't made them very happy, either.

After running for who knows how long, the three Adepts stumbled to a tired, slower pace. "I think… we lost… them," huffed Mia, looking back and seeing nothing coming after them; at least, not on the stretch of visible road.

"About time those… _things_… gave it up." Garet leaned with one hand against a tree for a few seconds. "Now we know: Mimics are fast; Vermin are faster."

Ivan rolled his eyes. "And they have a meaner temper. I thought for sure that smaller one was going to skewer me when we turned that one corner."

Mia was hunched over and hugging her sides as she walked, casting the occasional Ply. After so much running, it felt as though her lungs were getting ready to burn right through her. "It's not even noon yet, and I don't know about you two, but I think I need a break."

Garet lifted a hand up. "Seconded. Would you do us the honors, Ivan?" Ivan nodded and cast Reveal as they trudged on, finally stopping and turning off the road when he found an area they could rest at. "Heh, gotta love Master Hama for teaching you that one." They followed Ivan into the small clearing, and all three collapsed, exhausted, with their backs to a tree trunk.

Mia closed her eyes to rest for a moment. "Well, at least it wasn't a wasted morning. We must've covered a lot of ground during all that."

That just made Garet even more tired. "Ugh… Either way, it's already taken a day and night to get this far. If we aren't close by now, then whoever we're going up against is insane to travel around so much, and all just to make one appearance."

Mia could've laughed – it was just like Garet to complain about traveling – but opening her eyes enough to glance over at him changed her mind. Instead of seeing the usual Mars Adept, acting completely worn out and trying to fall asleep, or at least fake it, she saw him staring distantly at what looked like a beaded necklace in his hand.

_Garet stared at the Catch Beads Isaac was holding up to him, the weakened Adept already settled into his temporary resisdence. "Are you sure about this? I mean, they're your mom's. The only time you've ever even thought to let one of us use them was back at Colosso." _

_"Of course I'm sure. No telling what you'll run into out there, and they aren't going to be of any use to me here." Isaac pressed the Psynergy enabling beads into his friend's hand, but didn't let go of them yet. "Whatever you do, don't lose them or damage them. Otherwise, I'll go ahead and just give them over to Mia or Ivan right now. Think you can handle not breaking something for once?" The Venus Adept smirked slightly, baiting Garet into taking the beads. Garet hesitated, but covered it up by grinning and took the looped string of beads, shaking Isaac's hand in the process. _

_"I guess I could make an exception to my record this once." _

"We'll get him back." Garet broke out of his thoughts to look over at Mia, who was trying to smile reassuringly. "We'll handle whatever it is we've come all this way to handle, we'll get the Star back, and then we'll return to Terra and you can return those to him."

"Yeah, I know we will." Garet sighed and pocketed the beads again. "We have to."

**&&&&&&&&&&**

There was a knock at the bedroom door. "Isaac, have you finished changing? I have lunch ready." Celestia waited for confirmation from Isaac before entering with a new food tray. Isaac was back to sitting in bed, the book from earlier hidden beside him under the covers.

"Thanks. I guess it's easy to lose track of time when stuck in one place." He smiled gratefully as he sat up more and accepted the meal. "Any chance I could help you with something around the house? Seems wrong that I have to wait before paying you back."

"Do not worry. I have managed this house on my own for a few years now." She fixed his pillows so he could better lean against them. "Simply having someone else staying here has been a welcomed change of pace."

"What about when my friends come back and I recover? What then?" The question was innocent, but Isaac regretted it the moment it was said. What did he _think_ would happen? She'd be left alone again once they left. "I-I'm sorry," he corrected after a brief silence. "I didn't mean to… you know…"

Celestia had stopped moving when he had asked, but now she set herself to straightening out the room again. "It is okay. You and your friends have your journey to complete. I will continue to live here as I always have."

There was another silence, until Celestia spoke again a moment later. "Do you still wonder how I knew to expect you?" Isaac nodded. He had found something towards the end of the book where someone wrote about the True Star's arrival, but it hadn't made much sense at the time.

"My grandmother started training my cousin and I almost the moment we came to live with her. Actually, she was our great grandmother, but she refused to let us call her that because it reminded her of how old she was becoming." Celestia let a smile slip at the memory. "She used to lecture us on how it would be our generation that would guide the Star next. She told us it had been many lifetimes since any Star last awakened, but that a tragic storm would one day bring the Star of Venus back to consciousness. Then, three years ago, the storm came." She turned to face him. "You know the storm I speak of."

He did. It was the one that had been triggered by Saturos and Menardi's groups when they entered Sol Sanctum. It had robbed him of his father, and Jenna of her brother, parents, and home. Too many died or where injured that night to allow it to be easily forgotten.

"That storm was not natural," Celestia continued. "It disturbed the dormant powers of the Stars. My grandmother received a vision in her dreams that night, and the next day told me where you would come from. She did not dare release your name, though, not until a year later when her age claimed her."

**&&&&&&&&&&**

There was a light thud as Ivan slumped over sideways from his sitting position. Garet snickered. "Sure you want to let your guard down after that stunt you pulled on me?" Ivan muttered something, but otherwise didn't move. "Ivan?" This time, the Jupiter Adept didn't stir at all. "Huh. I guess the kid's more tired than I thought."

Mia wasn't so sure, and moved from her resting spot to check on the younger party member. "Ivan?" She gently rolled him onto his back and put a hand to his face. "Garet, check my bag for any antidotes and elixirs," she directed urgently, casting Ply but still not getting a response. "I thought it was just those monsters affecting him, but they must've somehow poisoned or stunned him as well."

Garet quickly did as told, bringing the healer's entire travel bag over along with the requested items. "What else could it be?" he asked when neither item seemed to work. Ivan had turned pale while his cheeks were flushed, as though coming down with a fever, and even less reassuring was how both conscious travelers could sense their Djinn quiver. And then, Garet knew what it was.

"Mia," the Mars Adept said quietly and carefully, one hand moving for the hilt of his sword. "Take Ivan and get out of here."

Mia looked up at him, confused. "Why? What is it?"

Garet bit his lip. "Trust me on this one." With his free hand, he slipped a water of life bottle into her pocket and closed up the bag. They didn't have many, but if the next to worst happened, then it would be more dependable than any potion. "If it's what I think it is, then you don't want to stick around to find out."

Garet, however, wasn't to have the last say in the matter. Before Mia could nod or shake her head, she was yanked away by the waist, and thrown through the trees on the opposite side of the rest area. "Mia!" Garet drew his sword as he spun around, only to have it smacked out of his hands and himself rammed against Ivan's tree, something wrapping tightly around his throat to hold him. The vine monster from before, the one that had almost taken Isaac from them, hissed as more thick vines shot up from underground.

"Tundra!" Shards of ice, almost the size of Garet apiece, struck the monster. One piece landed dangerously close, slicing through the vine that was attempting to strangle the Mars Adept. "Garet! You okay?" Mia called from where she was, quickly summoning more of her Psynergy.

"Y-Yeah." Garet coughed for air, but didn't waste time before using his own Psynergy. If he was going to shield the still unconscious Ivan, he'd have to do without his sword for this battle. He knew what this monster was capable of, though, and just hoped Psynergy alone would be enough.

**&&&&&&&&&& **

"Celestia, can I ask you something? I mean, about what happened in the woods?"

"You mean to ask me about the thing that attacked you, correct?" Isaac nodded again. Celestia didn't answer at first, but finally began to speak after thinking of what to say. "It was an earth based monster, as I am sure you already noticed." Another nod and pause. "Then you already know almost as much about it as I do."

Whatever response Isaac was expecting, that and Celestia standing to leave wasn't it. "Wha-? Hey, wait a minute!" Celestia stopped with her back still to the Adept. "You know more about that thing than any of my friends or I know. You know more about _everything_ that's going on than any of us. The books," Isaac motioned with a wave of his arm at all the bookcases. "What do they really talk about, Celestia? If you're not an Adept, then just how exactly were you able to bring me back if I was already dead? Only Venus Adepts have the ability to revive the fatally wounded, and going so far as to revive the dead is really pushing it."

"Are you skeptical of my abilities?"

Isaac was taken aback, but the way Celestia was dodging the question did not go over well with him. "I'm grateful for what you've done to help so far, but that's only if I know the person helping me isn't really trying to trick me. So, yes, I'm a skeptic. I have to be."

Celestia didn't miss a beat, however, and questioned in the same monotonous voice as before, "Was it the betrayal of Felix that has made you so suspicious, or have you always been so wary?" Isaac's mouth was open, but no words would come out. "Yes, I know of Felix; how you thought he was dead, only to learn three years later that he had joined those responsible for the deaths of his own parents, as well as your father." She paused, then added in what sounded like disappointment, "You judge far too quickly, Isaac."

That snapped one of Isaac's few remaining nerves. "What's that supposed to mean?" he retorted to her turned back. He wanted to jump out of the bed and make her face him, but knew he'd only fall over again in his rush. "You weren't there. You don't know what those murderers did; what they were willing to do!" He gripped a handful of his sheets in a fist, as if that would ease his frustration.

"Did they take Garet from you?" Celestia barely raised her voice, finally facing him again. While Isaac was glad he was no longer talking to her back, he now wished she'd show some kind of emotion. Somehow, the stare she gave him made him feel… guilty? "When you encountered them, did they steal your closest friend away from you as you say they did to your father?"

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Garet hit the monster with another wave of fire, but his Psynergy was quickly running out, along with the strength of his attacks. This wasn't looking good. The three of them were going to wind up as plant food if this went on much longer, but so far nothing he or Mia did seemed to cause any significant damage, and Ivan still wasn't waking up.

Summoning up one of the strongest attacks he could manage, and aiming it towards the center of the plant, Garet hesitated. The battle and his low level of remaining Psynergy was starting to blur and double his vision, making him unable to focus on the target. There wasn't time to let it clear, though, so he launched the attack at the center between the two plants he was seeing. Garet grinned tiredly when it looked as though the attack would connect, but in the last second, a massive vine shot up to swipe the Psynergy away.

"No…" This thing had to have a weakness, and he had to find it now or they were done for. All three of them would be done for. Isaac would be done for. Everything they had fought so hard for would be for nothing, and he'd never be able to save Jenna. Garet's hand began to glow again with Psynergy, but it quickly vanished as his legs finally gave out and he slipped to one knee. Looking up again, the end of a thick, hazy vine hovered over him. In the next instant, the vine split into the same gnarled, green hand from before, and pinned him against the tree. This time, the force that it struck him with in the chest made the tree give and bend back, enough so as to form a gap between the forward roots and the ground they had been partly hidden under.

"Garet!" Mia wasn't doing much better. Her Psynergy was wearing thin as well, but she still had her own weapon in hand to save her at least a little extra energy. Dodging one vine that swiped at her, she cast another Tundra attack. While she was focusing and launching her attack, however, another vine caught her by surprise and knocked her several yards to the side. There was a snap in her wrist as she hit the ground, and already a vine was hovering over her as well. The vine split and lunged at her, exactly as it had done to her friends, but she had no chance of defending herself as a sharp pain shot through her limb. Mia screamed and raised her uninjured arm in defense. What she didn't expect, however, was the sound of metal ringing and a quick chop. Risking a peek, Mia gasped in shock and opened both eyes when she saw who her rescuer was. "A-Alex?"

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Isaac had once again fallen silent and diverted his eyes, his knuckles starting to hurt from the grip he had on the bed covers. "I was only trying to find help," he said quietly after another moment's silence. In his mind, Isaac was reluctantly reliving that night one more time. "I was looking for help to save everyone. Garet wasn't even supposed to be there, but he followed after me."

Saturos' voice rang clear in Isaac's memory._ "We'll help you forget." _

"You saw them strike him down," Celestia cut in softly.

Isaac nodded, and covered his face with one hand. "I didn't care if they finished me off or not, so long as I didn't lose anyone else that night. But they were too strong for us. When I finally woke up, I couldn't remember what had happened, not until I saw them again in Sol Sanctum." He furrowed his brows and bit his lip. The memory alone renewed his desire to personally catch and bring down the two criminals. He could never forgive them for what they had done, just as he would never be able to forgive Felix for helping them do it. "The moment I saw Felix was alive, that he was _helping_ those two finish what they'd started three years ago, I knew it was them."

**&&&&&&&&&&**

_Ivan! Ivan, wake up! _

"Uhn… Huh?"

_Ivan, they need you! You have to wake up! _

"G-Gust? Kite?"

Ivan reluctantly opened his eyes, ready to close them again from the light. Only… there wasn't any. "Ow… my head…" Sitting up, the boy held his aching forehead in one hand. "What… happened? Where am I?" Darkness. That's all there was around him, yet somehow he could make out his own hands, feet, and clothes. "I'm… asleep?"

"Close enough!" a tiny voice squeaked. Turning his gaze to the side, Ivan could see his Djinn huddled together in the dark. They were all shivering, some more than others, and acted as though waiting for some force to come down and crush them.

One, which Ivan recognized as his first Djinni partner, appeared on Ivan's shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Ivan. I was unable to protect you."

"Gust, what happened?" Ivan asked carefully, noticing how the small creature was shaking like the rest. "What's wrong with all of you?"

"That monster is what's wrong. It's too strong for us, Ivan. There's so much Venus energy and anger behind it. It was able to overpower us just by coming near." Gust whimpered and toppled sideways, but Ivan caught him and gently held him close. "The same happened for you. We're just Psynergy beings with personalities and occasional attitudes, so the effects are stronger on us. You're human, though, so it took longer for you to feel anything from it."

The Djinni snuggled against his Adept for added warmth and protection, though he was still trembling. "You have to wake up, Ivan," Kite chirped, jumping up so Ivan could make him out from the similar looking Djinn. "Jupiter is Venus' rival. Garet and Mia need your help in fighting that thing! Hurry!"

**&&&&&&&&&&**

"A-Alex?" Mia stammered out the name. What in Mercury's name was _he_ doing here? The elder Mercury Adept didn't answer her, even as he… Hold the Djinni, was he protecting her?

The vine monster shrieked and launched more vines at the pair of Mercury Adepts. Mia thought there was no chance Alex could fend them all off, but once again he surprised her. "Cutting Edge!" As Alex swung his sword, blue streaks of Psynergy were formed and sent slicing through the incoming vines. The dismembered sections fell limp to the ground, and the still intact segments retreated upwards with another shrill hiss. Alex started to smirk to himself, until he realized the injured vines were coming back down to try crushing him.

"T-Tempest!" There was a crack of lightning between the dark clouds that had suddenly formed, followed by a strong, spiraling wind coming down to ground into the center of the monster.

His confident grin back in place, Alex pointed his sword at the creature. "Blue Dragon!" More blue Psynergy was sent out from his hand and sword, circling upwards and combining with the wind assault.

"Is that… a dragon?" whispered Mia breathlessly, staring awestruck at what looked like a monstrous reptile head formed at the end of the attack. Even when Alex chuckled, she didn't break her gaze as the monster continued to shriek and withdraw. And then, it was gone. All that was left of the monster was a low mound of dirt where the center had been. Across the clearing, Ivan smiled tiredly and lowered his hand back to the ground beside where he lay.

"Are you hurt?" Still shaken, Mia finally returned to her senses to see a familiar face and figure kneel before her. "Mia… Are you hurt, aside from your wrist?" Mia made a stunned noise, her eyes watering a little. Taking that as a "no", Alex gently held the injured hand she was holding onto. "Hmm… It's a bad break. Judging by your fall, I'd say the wrist isn't the only area with a fracture." The blue-haired man barely bent the wrist to test it, but paused when Mia winced and tried pulling away. Instead of letting her go, however, he kept his hold on her wrist and arm until she calmed down again. Ignoring the stare and glare combination she was giving him, Alex closed his hands around her wrist and muttered, "Ply Well."

When the pale glow and miniature Psynergy pixies faded, Mia pulled back her arm. Every finger and joint seemed to bend properly again, and the pain was almost entirely gone, aside from a lingering numbness that would go away within a few minutes. After a brief moment of debating whether to hate him or thank him, she muttered a quiet, "Thank you."

Alex looked confused at first, but that softened to a smile, and finally back to his confident smirk. "Alex!" The named Adept stood and turned to the voice behind him, but in that instant had dropped his guard. Considering how, in the next instant, a fast moving fist became one with the side of his face, that wasn't the smartest thing he had done all day.

**&&&&&&&&&& **

**&&&&&&&&&& **

Garet's such a lovable idiot.

Garet: It's the start of the end chapter author notes, and that's the first thing you can think of to say?

What? Angering three Mimics and some other monsters all at once is supposed to be smart?

Garet: …grumble grumble… meanie… grumble grumble… And just what the Mars is up with bringing in that brat Alex?

Um…well… you see… I was cleaning the dishes the other day… and was thinking of what I could do to really get this story off the ground… So then Alex kinda got an idea… and I thought it would make for a nice twist… And then… some… stuff… was thought up and… you know…

Garet: Alright, alright. I get the idea.

My poor Prima guide for the games is going to completely fall apart by the time I finish this story. At least it wasn't a big cliffhanger for once.

Alex: (sitting in corner with ice pack on his face) Easy for you to say…

Er… Until next time! Happy late Easter/Passover/any April holiday I forgot, everyone!

Extra notes: Okay, I said I'd save it for later, so here it be now. Special thanks to FF.N and their incredibly _awesome_, invisible help page! It's so FUN having to search for work arounds just so we can upload new chapters. (warning: risk of sarcasm poisoning is reaching a dangerous high) Only way I even found out about this loophole was by chatting with other FF.N users over on Gaia, so the real special thanks goes to Umi Pryde for finding out and walking the rest of us through it. So, if anyone else is currently having problems with their document manager and getting new chapters to upload, go to your Stories menu, choose "edit" for the story, then "Contents/Chapters", and finally, the little "exp" link next to any existing chapter. From there, just edit it into the new chapter through the Document Manager. Seems to be working so far. n.n


	9. A Journal's Secret

**Star of Venus**

**Chapter 9**

Wheeeee! 9 chapters, and it only took me four years and a day to write it all!

Isaac: You really are terrible.

Meh, I procrastinate even more when a story's reaching the end. It's a weakness. Seriously, though! Four years (and a day)! Even if this hasn't been my most popular story, it was the first fanfic I wrote a chapter to, posted only a few hours before uploading the first chapter of my TNK series, and still holds a good deal of meaning to me when it comes to fan fiction. If anything, TNK was the fanfic I used for practicing on, and SoV was the fic I used for testing out the practice results on.

I wanted to have this chapter done by the 24th, just in time for this story's fourth anniversary, and the fourth anniversary since my FF.N account's activation. Go figure, though, that everything had to come up right at the last minute, so instead this is being uploaded the day after. Also, since both SoV (maybe) and FI are now into their last few chapters, I'll be uploading the prologue to my next GS series today as well. Phooey on not getting it up on the intended date, though.

Music to blame this chapter on: "Ship of Fools" and "A Song of Storm and Fire" from Tsubasa Chronicles, "See Who I Am" by Within Temptation, and "Fate of the Unknown" from the Kingdom Hearts 2: Final Mix "secret" ending.

Disclaimer: I own the particular town of Terra that appears in this fic, as well as the original characters. Oh, and the fic itself. Other than that, I don't own Golden Sun, but people who are against hints of Isaac/Mia or Alex/Mia are probably going to hate me soon.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Garet struggled against the monster's hold, but it was useless. His Psynergy was depleted, his sword was too far out of reach, and, from the looks of it, no one was about to save him. _Mia... Ivan..._ The monster tightened its grip around his throat, but the pain and lack of air weren't the only things bringing tears to his eyes. _Jenna... Isaac..._ This was it. He'd failed the one mission he'd been put in charge of, and now everyone else was going to end up paying for it. He really was nothing but a clumsy, useless oaf.

"Tempest!"

"Blue Dragon!"

A blinding light broke through the fire Adept's darkening vision, along with the horrible noise of the monster resisting the attacks. The vines holding onto him shuddered and loosened, giving Garet a chance to instinctively gasp for the much needed air, and then dropped him suddenly back to the ground. After a short time lying there, the deafening commotion quieted, and the blaring lights ceased.

"G-Garet!" Cracking open one eye, it was to see the concerned and worn face of Ivan leaning over him. The face disappeared when all Garet could do was moan, and then reappeared with a blue glass vial. "Here, drink some of this."

With a bit of help, Garet was able to do as told, then lay back again to wait for the healing liquid to take effect. "What… what happened?" His voice was rough and scratched for now, but a large part of him was grateful that it seemed to be the worst of it. He didn't take into account that adrenaline was likely hiding any other injuries.

"Um, well, you're not going to believe this, but-."

"Mia… Are you hurt?" Despite himself, Garet's eyes snapped open. He'd recognize that obnoxious voice anywhere.

Ivan laughed nervously. "Now, Garet, wait, he just- Garet?" Before the younger boy could stop him, the redhead had already risen to his feet, and was marching across the clearing. "Uh oh…"

"Alex!"

"Hmm?"

SMACK!

"GARET!"

"What's he doing here?!"

"What do you THINK I'm doing here?!"

"Nothing good, I'm sure of that!"

"Well, if a punch to the face is the thanks I get for saving you…"

"Garet, maybe if you calm down and just _listen_ to him-."

"Why? So he can ditch us all in an erupting volcano?"

"That might be a little difficult. I don't recall any active volcanoes in this area."

"I wasn't talking to you!"

Ivan sighed and shook his head. He should've seen this one coming. At least Garet was feeling better.

"Um… Garet?"

Or not. Daring a peek at the scene, the youngest traveler spotted Garet, lying spread-eagle on the ground, with a dazed expression as though he'd just spun in circles on one foot for too long, and with Alex and Mia looking on with confusion.

Mia copied Ivan's sigh and massaged her temples. "Ivan, could you please bring my medicine bag over for me?"

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Isaac watched the narrow strip of visible sky through his bedside window, although he barely noticed whenever pairs of birds would flit in and out of view. His mind had been wandering elsewhere for a while now. He had revisited the Vale from before the storm, had relived the visits to Kraden's house for Psynergy lessons, and remembered those moments in Sol Sanctum, when everything the storm had left intact had been shattered the rest of the way.

"Be careful, guys…" he said quietly to his friends, but he was the only there to hear it. It was his fault they were out there now, trying to save him against Sol knows what. Yet, he couldn't help smiling lightly.

Even if he had always felt responsible for those around him, now that he thought about it, he'd never really noticed how much he counted on them instead. He even remembered the day Jenna and Garet had first talked him into meeting Kraden.

"_Isaac, why don't you come outside with us?"_

_Isaac sat on his bed, his arms wrapped around his knees, hugging them to his chest and hiding his face in the gap. "I just don't feel like it, Jenna."_

"_Can you at least open this door?"_

"_No."_

_There was a moment's pause. "Listen, Isaac. Garet has this idea. See, that old guy Kraden knows a lot of stuff about Psynergy and alchemy, and I know we aren't supposed to learn Psynergy until we're sixteen, but Garet thought that maybe we could convince him to start teaching us early. We'll have a head start of two years that way! He might even be able to teach us techniques that we wouldn't learn from anyone else in this place. What do you say? Want to come with us?"_

_Isaac raised his head slightly. A two year lead? Wouldn't that help him get stronger faster? Or was it too little, too late? He could hear Jenna moving on the other side of his door, then the creak of the top stair._

"_Jenna?" She's gone. You idiot, you're too slow. No wonder they're all gone._

"_Yeah?" She came back?_

_Isaac swung his legs off the bed and moved to the door, opening it a few inches so he could see the red head on the other side. She really had become pretty over the years. Isaac hadn't noticed it before, but now he understood why Garet always blushed when he was embarrassed in front of her. Maybe that was why Felix had started making it his business to follow Jenna almost everywhere. _Felix is gone now, too._ "Y-you really think he would agree?"_

_Jenna smiled. She had lost nearly everything, and yet, she could still smile._

"_What do you think, silly? He's an outsider who's obsessed with Psynergy. Of course he's going to agree!"_

During all three years after the storm, Garet and Jenna had never left him, no matter how many times he had tried pushing them away. Maybe it was because they both knew what it was like to have siblings, and had somewhere along the line adopted Isaac into their families. Whatever the reason, he was just glad they had been there, or he might have stopped trusting in people altogether. He and Garet wouldn't have made it far in the journey if they'd allowed him to be that way, and who knew where that would land them if they hadn't met their new friends.

Garet was the biggest comedian Isaac had ever known, despite the Mars Adept being from the Mayor's family. Ivan was sometimes considered the baby of the group, but he was quick, smart, and had a knack for knowing just what a person needed to hear. Maybe being a psychic was what helped him understand people, so well, but then that would make the psychic-less Mia even more of a natural. Garet might try to be fair to others, and Ivan might try to think things over before judging, not to mention eager to "forgive and forget," as Hammet had once said, but Mia was the one who looked for the good in a person first, before ever considering the bad. Isaac chuckled. She'd even been near ready to heal Dodonpa's leg after his own monster had fallen on him, something Isaac's untrusting side wouldn't have thought to do for the thief.

Isaac's smile left him, remembering that Felix wasn't the only person who had once been considered a friend by someone. Mia never talked much about Alex, but when she did, she'd always have a look about her that Isaac could understand. After all, it was close to how he had felt when he learned that Felix wasn't on their side anymore, except Mia refused to think Alex's intent was to cause harm.

Felix and Alex weren't the people they had once been known as. They had become traitors, in every sense of the word. Maybe Mia just needed more time before she'd be able to accept that.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Garet was unhappy. No, worse than unhappy. Garet was mad. Garet was furious. Garet… had his arm back in a sling and a makeshift brace around his neck, and was fuming alone under a tree while everyone else talked a short distance away.

And Alex was there. Talking. With Ivan and Mia. Without them trying to clobber the creep. Plus, to add insult to injury, Mia was also refusing to give Garet a Psy Crystal. Which he knew they had plenty of.

It was an unhappy day for Garet indeed.

"So, I followed the source of the Psynergy, and, before I knew it, I stumbled upon your battle," Alex concluded, finishing his tale of how he had arrived on the scene. Garet was busy thinking of all the attacks he would've loved to stumble Alex with. He hadn't quite mastered Pyroclasm yet, but it was starting to sound very nice.

"Wait, so does that mean Felix and Jenna are nearby?" asked Ivan.

Alex shrugged. "Them? They should be past Gondowan Passage and moving on to Suhalla Village by now."

Ivan lowered his head. "We'll never catch up at this rate."

"Really? I wouldn't be so sure of that." Alex smirked. He started to withhold his knowledge, seeing just how much he could push the patience of this small group. It was hard to believe these children could cause any trouble for someone as experienced a fighter as Saturos.

"What makes you say that?" grumbled a still unpleased Garet. "If you dare say anything's happened to Jenna, I'll-."

Alex rolled his eyes and cut the Mars Adept off. "Relax, nothing's wrong with Jenna. Besides, Felix would never allow it." Not to mention that Felix would be needed in the upcoming Lighthouse, so now was not the time for the Proxans to mess with the kid sister anyway.

Mia hung her head as well. This was getting them nowhere. "Please, Alex, if you're going to say it, then just tell us." As glad as she was to not be fighting her former friend, it was still… hard. Especially now that a friend she didn't doubt the morals of was waiting on them. "We'll be moving on just as soon as Garet's recovered, whether you've said anything or not."

Alex's grin wavered briefly as he looked at her, then quickly turned and leaned back to gaze at the sky instead. "Isn't it obvious? After Suhalla Village, they'll come to Suhalla Desert. Can't very well traverse through a desert when they're in too big a hurry for proper planning, now can they? So, I doubt they'll be going much farther until I rejoin them."

"Then why don't you hurry on back, then? Or are you really not as alone as you claim to be?"

Alex frowned at Garet's accusation. "I'm hurt, Garet. Honestly, I save you from becoming plant food, and this is the thanks I get."

Garet rose awkwardly to his feet with a pained groan. "We're wasting time here. Ivan, Mia, let's go." Mia started to protest, but Garet ignored it and stuffed the sling and brace into his bag.

"What's the hurry?" Alex called, smirking once more as he too stood. "Did your oh-so-fearless leader run on ahead without the rest of you? Or did he finally turn chicken and throw in the towel?"

"Alex, don't," Mia warned, but the other Mercury Adept was already on a roll.

"Not that I'd blame him. This ordeal wasn't meant for little children."

"Alex, I mean it."

"I don't get it, Mia. I mean, I would have been more than happy to let you join me, but you've always been _so_ set in your ways when it came to the lighthouse and our clan. Amazing how quick you left it behind to travel with this ragtag group instead."

That did it. Turning back, Garet was fully ready to give Alex a sample of his returning Psynergy. The Adept of water, however, simply teleported out of the way, and then reappeared in the same spot. "Say what you want about me, Alex, but leave Isaac, Mia, and Ivan out of it!"

Alex crossed his arms as Garet stalked off again. "Sheesh, I know fire Adepts are known for their hot tempers, but that almost made Menardi look innocent," he muttered, mostly to himself as the other two travelers started to leave as well. Something bigger than a bad mood was going on here. "Mia?"

"Hmm?" Mia slowed, and waited for him to catch up and walk with her. She was expecting to hear another smart comment against her new friends, but what she didn't expect was a straight faced Alex to say what he said next.

"What happened?"

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Fortunately, things were far calmer back in the town of Terra. There wasn't much else for Isaac to do other than to read, and it just so happened that the small journal was still conveniently hidden beside him. Pulling it out again, the Venus Adept started flipping through the pages, this time reading over small excerpts of the writing.

"_Grandma says we can not go home again. We can not go home because home is no longer there. I don't care, though. I still want to go home. I don't want to be stuck here with Grandma and Cynthia. Grandma's not as nice as she used to be, not since she started with all her training. She won't even let us talk normally. She says we have to talk 'properly' or else we won't be able to focus right. I hate Tolbi. Tolbi took Mommy and Daddy away, so why should I have to live here and help make it bigger?_

_I really want to go home._"

Tolbi? Isaac flipped a few pages ahead, skimming the contents of each page as he went. From the looks of it, though, pretty much every entry was about the writer being homesick.

"_Grandma says we'll have to help the Star's bearer when the time comes. Why did she only tell me, though? If both of us will be responsible, why doesn't she want Cynthia to know anything? Only one of us is able to inherit her title, afterall. Poor Cynthia. She lost more than me in the attack, and now it seems even Grandma doesn't trust her._"

By, "Star's bearer," it was probably talking about him. He turned a few more pages.

"_Cynthia was really happy today, but she wouldn't tell me why unless I followed her out of town. I finally did, and she led me out of town to the place everyone calls Altmiller Cave. She said she'd found something inside that could help us get back everything that had been taken from us. I didn't see it, though. I chickened out and ran when it appeared, because it wasn't one of the ordinary creatures that live in the cave. Cynthia's changed. She's not the cousin I used to know anymore. But Grandma can't know what happened today. No one can ever know._"

So Cynthia was the writer's cousin then? Isaac was starting to lose any doubts as to who the journal's owner was.

"_Cynthia found out that Grandma's making me the next Celestia, and she wasn't happy about it. She wasn't even in the house this morning when we woke up. I could tell Grandma was worried, even if she wouldn't say she was, and she sent me to find her. She wasn't in town as I had hoped, so I snuck out to the cave. I was only about half way to the room she had led me to last time when that thing appeared. I thought it was going to kill me with its vines, but Cynthia came and told it to stop. She says she can talk to it, but I don't know how. I've never heard it speak._"

Vines… Isaac's suspicions were confirmed on the next page, where the journal's young owner had scribbled the drawing of the vine monster. It was starting to make sense. There was no doubt about it now; the writer had to be the person they knew as Celestia, and the two stick figures must be she and her cousin, Cynthia. Celestia really had been lying earlier. She knew exactly what it was that had attacked him, and for all he knew Cynthia could still be the one controlling it. As all the collected pieces were running through his head, some fitting together and others being set to the side, he could hear a faint voice managing to break through to him from the inside.

_Get away. Run. You must get away!_

"_What?"_

"What are you reading?" Isaac jumped as his train of thought suddenly derailed, and looked to the doorway. Celestia was standing there, complete with tea tray in hand. Something was different, though. Her presence wasn't as friendly as it had been before, and her gaze was colder as she glanced between him and the journal.

When he didn't answer immediately, she repeated the question. "What are you reading, Isaac?"

**&&&&&&&&&&**

"So then… Isaac is…"

"Bed bound," said Mia with a sad nod, finishing Alex's sentence for him. "After he made it back to the inn, he couldn't even walk on his own anymore. He still looks normal on the outside, though there's no telling how much longer that will last for."

They walked in silence for a moment as Alex processed everything she had told him, with the two of them following a short distance behind Garet and Ivan. To say it was hard to believe would be an understatement, and to think that such a power source had been so near for that entire time… It was mind blowing, to say the least.

"And… you really care about what happens to him?"

Mia gave him a look as though it should've been the most obvious thing. "Of course I do! He's been a really good friend to me, Alex. They all have been, ever since- I mean…"

"Ever since I stopped being your friend, is that it?"

"What? No! That's not what I meant. Really!"

Alex laughed and waved it off. "Don't worry about it, Mia." He may have smiled and said it was nothing, but, as Mia watched him, she felt that wasn't the case. For one thing, he wasn't talking as he normally would when others were around to hear.

"I'll tell you what, Mia." Mia pulled out of her thoughts as Alex spoke. "I'll help you get this 'Star' back before I return to my group, if you promise me something in return." When she hesitated in answering, Alex continued. "Saturos and Menardi have their reasons, but they've become obsessed, and will do anything they feel they have to do to reach their goals. Promise you'll be careful if you ever go up against them, and... well, just give Felix a chance. Believe it or not, he's not completely crazy in everything he does." He turned his head to face her as he walked, waiting for her response.

Mia studied him a few seconds more, then smiled and nodded. "Sure, Alex. I think I can do that." She thought she caught a glimpse of a relieved smile as she said it.

Alex suddenly realized he was starting to redden, for whatever reason, and quickly cleared his throat and looked forward again. "So, where is it we're going again?" he asked, louder than how he had been talking before.

"You mean we haven't lost you yet?" called Garet over his shoulder. "For crying out loud, he's worse than a cockroach!"

Mia bit back a laugh and some other responses she could've made. "Celestia said to check to the east of the Gondowan Passage, but without crossing the bridge. Lucky for us we've already explored this area in the past."

Alex looked shocked. "You have? When did this happen?"

"Right after Colosso. There was something that needed taking care of in Lunpa, but the only way we could return to the main region of Angara from here was to find a cave through the mountains."

Amazing. Alex knew Saturos and Menardi had been moving slower than planned since the abduction of Jenna and Kraden, but if these four could travel all the way to the northern regions and back in such a short frame of time, it was a surprise that they hadn't already caught up and rescued the three Valeans by now.

Not that he was complaining.

Ivan stopped abruptly, almost causing Garet to walk into him. "Um… guys?" The boy pointed ahead as the other two caught up. "Look familiar?"

The trees had gradually thinned enough to show a low wall of mountains to their right, and another low wall directly ahead. Also before them was a dark hole, which lead into the rock.

"Gondowan Cave," breathed Mia. "I didn't think we had managed to come this far already."

"What do you say, Ivan?" Garet put a hand on the psychic's shoulder. "Inside, or outside?"

"Definitely inside," announced a small voice. A light appeared on Ivan's other shoulder, and faded to reveal a tiny Jupiter Djinni. "The level of Venus energy has most definitely been increasing as we've gotten closer to here!" Garet grumbled something about the Psynergy creature holding out on info, but no one was really listening to him anymore.

Ivan furrowed his eyebrows uncertainly. Now that Gust mentioned it, he had been feeling more and more uneasy as they had neared this area. _Gust, are you sure you should be out in the open like this?_

Gust nodded its head as the party started to enter the cave. _Don't worry about us, Ivan. We Djinn all made promises to protect our Adept partners, and we'll do everything we can to keep those promises._

_But what about that monster? If it appears, won't you be hurt again?_

The mental connection was quiet for a moment, before finally the calm response came. _If I am, at least I'll have kept my promise._

Not much had changed since they had last been there, but not much was standing out to catch their interest, either. There wasn't even an, "Evil creatures of Venus alignment, this way," sign to point them in any particular direction. Finally, after traveling through a few of the cave's inner chambers, Alex pointed out a narrow tunnel the other Adepts hadn't noticed during their last visit. With no other leads to go by, they decided to at least check it out. Gust, however, shuddered and faded away as Ivan followed his friends through.

Garet let out a long, low whistle as they entered a new chamber. "And here I thought Sol Sanctum had huge rooms." The ceiling was high enough to be barely visible, if it weren't for the narrow beams of light streaming in through various holes. As for the chamber itself, it seemed large enough to easily house both the Kalay _and_ Tolbi plazas _together_.

Alex crossed his arms and leaned back against the stone wall. "It's large, however, I don't see any signs of this being our target." Mia gasped and cupped both hands over her mouth. "What, you were expecting the hidden room to just happen to be the one you were looking for, with a shiny bright orb thing and a plant monster with vines everywhere?"

Garet shrugged. "Can't say it wouldn't have been a nice change."

"No, I-I… Just- Just look over there!" The boys all followed her gaze as she pointed to the other side of the room. It looked like a normal cave wall of earth, until they were actually looking for something. That's when they saw what she already had. At first, it appeared to be an odd rock formation, but as their eyes continued to adjust, it seemed more like the beginnings of a human-like statue cut straight from the stone. It was positioned so that the tips of the shoe toes were a half foot off of the ground, then sunk back into the rock just above the knees, then emerged again below the shoulders. The head of the statue was leaning forward and facing down, and the long, dark hair hanging from it would normally show amazing detail and craftsmanship. Except, as their eyes fully adjusted to the light and distance, it became far more noticeable: it wasn't a stone statue. "I-Is that… _Celestia_?!"

**&&&&&&&&&&**

"_Grandmother passed away this week, and there is still no word from Cynthia. I have checked the cave almost daily since she left, but she does not seem to have gone there. Warriors have begun to arrive in Tolbi for Colosso, even though it is still a month away. With the appearance of monsters threatening the Karagol ships, most have had to travel by a different means. I overheard one team in the market yesterday, talking about how they had arrived through a small cave in the mountains to the southeast. I do not know why, but I feel I will have better luck if I search for her there._"

Celestia snapped the journal closed in one hand. Even with plenty of sunlight hours left in the day, all of the shutters and curtains in the living room had been closed. The light from the main room's fireplace, which danced and cast eerie shadows on the walls, reflected in the woman's eyes as she visually traced the patterns on the cover. Interesting, how this one book had been previously overlooked. She didn't know how much her guest had already read, but soon even that would not matter.

There was a faint rustling behind her, and a thin vine began to snake its way out from under a rug in the corner. As it neared her, it raised up, much like a serpent preparing to strike.

"Yes, I think it is nearing the time to end this," she said calmly, and casually tossed the journal into the fire with a flick of her wrist. The corners of her lips turned up in a smirk as she watched the pages glow and eventually crinkle. Finally, she turned and came face-to-vine with the monster. Instead of being surprised, however, her grin merely widened. "Would you not agree… my pet?"

**&&&&&&&&&&**

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Jenna: Something tells me no one saw that coming.

Heh, and that's not even all of it yet. Told ya there were reasons for her behavior. It just took me… um, six chapters… to decide for sure on most of them. Also, another yay for this chapter, because for once FF.N isn't deleting all the "?!" moments. Anyways, since there were only 3 reviews for chapter 8, I'm going to be sneaky (ha!) and slip in the "review responses" right here.

Ed (Uber Spoonz) – Just remember this: bodily harm/lack of toes possibly no future updates. …I'll still have to go into hiding after this, won't I?

Chris Robins – Alex is one of Golden Sun's greatest mysteries… though some just say he's a jerk. XD He is pretty useful when in need of a plot twist, though. Thanks for the reviews!

Spirit Seer – Glad you liked the expression. n.n Sorry if I disappointed you on who punched Alex. It seems like Alex would have to still be kneeling for Ivan to even come close to hitting him in the face, poor kid. As for the monster… for now, let's just say it's one really messed up creature with a really messed up background. n.n;

Thanks for reading, to those who have been reading all along! Reviews, constructive criticism, and the pointing out of typos and errors I might've missed are loved as always.


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